Copter crew plucks climber from Tunnel Mountain ledge
A climber in his mid-twenties was taken to hospital Sunday with a broken back after being rescued from a mountain ledge by helicopter near the Banff town site.
Around noon, a call came into the park’s dispatch centre from a group of experienced climbers on a route called Gooseberry located on the east side of Tunnel Mountain.
“The leader of their party had sustained a 10-metre lead fall,” said Aaron Beardmore, visitor safety specialist with Banff National Park. “He was hanging on the rope, was out of sight at the time and was moaning and injured.”
The other climbers were able to secure the man, but asked for help with a rescue. Beardmore, who was involved with the rescue, said a helicopter was available in Banff and they were able to get to the scene within 10 minutes of the call.
It took some time, however, to get the man off the precarious ledge.
“There was not a lot of room to move around so it was quite difficult,” he said, noting they were able to get the man off the mountain and transport him to hospital.
Rescuers were concerned about his pelvis, back and spine.
“It turns out, we’ve learned, that his pelvis was OK, but he has a broken back in a couple of locations,” said Beardmore.
It’s expected the man, thought to be from the Calgary or Red Deer area, will make a full recovery.