Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was called out to five rescues in one day this weekend, in what has already been a record-breaking year.
Already Scotland’s busiest mountain rescue team, on Saturday 15 volunteers worked over 12 hours to rescue people on Ben Nevis – and in the nearby area – in poor weather conditions.
The voluntary organisation has already passed 100 rescues in a year in record time.
The first callout of the day came just before 12pm, with reports of an unconscious man in his 60s around corner five on the 4,413 foot high Ben Nevis, which is the UK’s highest mountain.
The coastguard search and rescue helicopter R199 from Prestwick deployed team members high onto the hill, along with a winch paramedic, team leader Iain Murray said.
At the same time, another call came for a medical emergency lower down the hill, which involved a child and two team members assisted them off with the help of the R199.
Called out at lunch
While the volunteers were back at base for lunch, the day’s third call came in for a man with a broken leg about 1,500ft up on the slopes of Carn Beag Dearg, which is located next to Ben Nevis.
Two Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team members headed out by ATV in advance and provided the man – who was in a group – with pain relief in time for the stretcher to arrive.
Whilst here, they prepared for an uplift lower down the hill by the coastguard helicopter R151 from Inverness.
During this, the fourth incident of the day happened, which resulted in team members helping a casualty on the Ben path with a leg injury.
The fifth and final incident of a hectic Saturday came at the same time as the R151 arrived on scene, with a cragfast walker on the Devil’s Ridge in the Mamores needing assistance.
R151 was able to drop several team members close by to assist the walker before returning to Inverness and delivering the third casualty to Raigmore Hospital in the Highland capital.
‘Great job’ by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team
All of the team were back at base by 11.30pm.
Mr Murray added: “It was a very busy day.
“Ben Nevis is certainly very busy at the moment and the conditions were very wet, cold and windy, and people need to be aware of the conditions and prepare for them.
“All the casualties on Saturday were equipped appropriately but the conditions can catch anybody out at any time.
“As ever, wishing all casualties a speedy recovery and a big thanks to everyone involved, team members, members of the public and both crews of R199 and R151. They did a fantastic job.”
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