A man in his 70s suffered a suspected heart attack while climbing in the Highlands at the weekend despite desperate attempts by two companions to save his life.
The pensioner, from the central belt, was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital in Inverness after being airlifted off Geal Charn in the Monadhliath Mountains.
Two younger companions, believed to be competent first-aiders, were unable to resuscitate him.
The trio were ascending Geal Charn, above Laggan, when the man collapsed.
One of the climbers left the scene to find a mobile phone signal and raised the alarm.
A Bristow’s civilian search and rescue helicopter from Inverness responded quickly with two paramedics on board and flew the man direct to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Conditions on the ben had been excellent, according to local mountain rescue volunteers.
The men had broken through the cloud level to a height of 3,038ft.
Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team leader, Willie Anderson, said: “There were three in the group, climbing above Laggan.
“The eldest of the group had collapsed. They started doing CPR. One of the party had to leave the scene in order to get a signal.
“I realised from what they were saying that it was quite an emergency.
“They had got above an inversion, the cloud level, and visibility was good.”
Mr Anderson said he felt for the man’s two companions, one of who is understood to be in his 50s and the other in his 60s.
“They had been there for an hour doing their very best for him,” he said.
Geal Charn, standing 3,713ft, is a sprawling mountain in the Beinn a’Chlachair group.