Mountaineer who began fossil hunting after near-death experience discovers rare 'sea dragon'
After suffering from PTSD following a near-death mountaineering accident, Matthew Myerscough turned to fossil hunting as a therapeutic activity. His hobby led to the discovery of a rare 201-million-year-old plesiosaur jawbone in Wales.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of mental health recovery and amateur paleontology, showcasing how personal trauma can lead to significant scientific contributions.
Image source, Ceri Oakes Image caption, Fossil hunter Matthew Myerscough says finding fossils like this ichthyosaur in Somerset has helped him to recover after a near-death accident
A mountaineer who nearly died in an avalanche has described how his recovery led him to amateur fossil hunting and the discovery of a marine reptile or "sea dragon" not found in Wales before.
Matthew Myerscough said he was left with post-traumatic stress disorder after being unconscious for 20 minutes buried beneath a metre of snow after a slide on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in 2014.
It led him away from the mountains to fossil-laden beaches at Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, where he discovered a jaw bone from the Jurassic period 200 million years ago.
Myerscough, a civil engineer, said the painstaking process of fossil hunting helped his worries and stresses to "melt away".
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