Hiker winched from Ben Nevis
An unwell walker was winched to safety after he became ill while walking on Carn Mor Dearg, Ben Nevis, Scotland.
An unwell walker was winched to safety by a UK Coastguard helicopter based at Inverness on 27 February after he became ill while walking on Carn Mor Dearg, Ben Nevis, Scotland. The Coastguard received a call from Police Scotland informing it that a walker had been taken ill on a ridge. The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team assembled very quickly but given the time it would have taken to bring him to safety, the Coastguard helicopter was called in. The casualty was airlifted to Torlundy and taken to hospital by the Scottish Ambulance Service. The Coastguard reports that the man is now in a stable condition.
Scott Sharman, paramedic winchman, said that the winch was particularly challenging due to its isolated location and the length of the winch needed to ensure the walking party’s safety. He added: “It was an extremely steep ridge and we needed to make sure we kept at a safe distance because the downdraft could very easily have blown them over the ridge.”