A property developer who could not join in an adventure sport with a family party because his arm was in a plaster cast decided to fly a stunt kite instead – and fell 70ft (21m) to his death.

Andrew Armstrong, 32, a father-to-be, tripped and fell headfirst down a Devon cliff on to rocks, an inquest was told yesterday.

He was with 14 other members of his and his fiancée’s families when he took over the handles of the stunt kite from his older brother, Mark.

Mr Armstrong, from Buckinghamshire, and his fiancée, Amy, were visiting her mother at her home in Devon to celebrate their engagement and her pregnancy.

She has since given birth to a daughter and changed her surname to Armstrong in his memory.

The group went to Noss Mayo, near Newton Ferrers, to go “coasteering” - an adventure sport of climbing, wading and swimming along a stretch of rugged shoreline.

Mr Armstrong was unable to take part because he had injured himself in a skateboarding accident. Instead, he flew the two-handled kite on a narrow grass causeway between cliffs leading to a headland.

His brother said: “The kite was 30ft up and I would estimate he was five yards from the edge of the cliff. He continued flying it for about 20 seconds while I sat down and put on my boots and watched.

“Then I saw it go out of control and I turned around and all I saw was the two kite handles on the ground.

“There was no shout. I did not hear anything.

“I did not realise what had happened. It did not cross my mind he had fallen off the cliff. I thought he was messing around and had jumped down on to a ledge or something. I did not realise the cliffs were sheer.”

Stephen Saddler, the partner of Amy’s mother and the leader of the coasteering expedition, said: “It was a family celebration over two days and we decided to go to Noss Mayo because the weather was good and I know the area and it is very beautiful.”

He said that he did not see Andrew fall but went down a cliff path and into the sea with a first aid kit to swim round to him.

By the time he reached Mr Armstrong he was already dead or dying. Robert Newman, the Plymouth Assistant Deputy Coroner, said: “There is nothing at all I would seek to criticise in the arrangements that were made that day, including the safety arrangements.

“Andrew was unable to take part in the coasteering because he had broken his arm two weeks previously but he wanted to be present with Amy.

“He flew a kite in the area while others were preparing to go coasteering and I am satisfied he did so without knowing of the potential dangers.

“The wind was light and perfectly suitable for kite flying. Unfortunately in some way, and there are no eye witnesses to what happened, he must have lost his footing and he fell down the cliff face to the rocks below.

“In doing so he died almost instantly, although Mr Saddler and others attended very quickly and did everything possible to save his life.

“This was an unforeseeable and very unfortunate accident as a result of which Mr and Mrs Armstrong have lost their son and Amy has lost her husband, and her daughter has lost her father.”

Mr Newman recorded a verdict of accidental death.

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