A "WELL-respected" BT engineer died after falling into a river.

North Wales Police have confirmed that engineer Alun Owen, aged 32 and known as “Al Bonc”, was killed after falling into the river at Abergwyngregyn in Gwynedd on Tuesday (October 6).

The multi-agency search and rescue operation was launched shortly before 4pm, involving police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue, and the coastguard.

It followed reports of a BT engineer being swept downstream in a river.

A North Wales Police spokesman said: "Regrettably despite the best efforts of the search teams, the body of a 32-year-old local man was subsequently recovered at 7.14pm.

"North Wales Police can now confirm the name of the man to be Alun Owen, known locally to family and friends as 'Al Bonc'.

Abergwyngregyn is near Aber Falls, between Bangor and Llanfairfechan.

DI Andrew Gibson said: "Our heartfelt sympathies are with the family, friends and colleagues of the engineer at this incredibly difficult time and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this tragic time by the media.'

The Health and Safety Executive and North Wales Police are working together to establish the sequence of events which led to this tragic incident which resulted in the death of a well-respected local man. As an investigation is underway, we are unable to make any further comment.

The coroner for North West Wales, Mr Dewi Pritchard Jones has been informed.