Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Stranded man in snowdrift rescue
A MOUNTAIN rescue team came to the aid of a man who became stranded as he tried to walk to safety after a week cut off by snow.
The 64-old man, who lives in a remote location near Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, had been cut off with no power for seven days.
He decided to try to walk to the nearest village yesterday afternoon but found his way blocked by huge snowdrifts.
The man called for help at around 4pm after trying to walk through deep snow for more than four hours.
Moffat Mountain Rescue Team (Moffat MRT) members arrived just after dark and tried to drive towards where they believed the man to be but had to abandon their vehicle and proceed on foot.
After battling through drifts for two hours, two team members managed to reach the man.
Other team members followed on and started to trample a path through the snow to assist the man to the team’s Land Rover (pictured), which they reached at around 8.30pm.
He was then evacuated to the road where he was passed to police who took him to Lockerbie.
Twenty team members were involved in the rescue operation.
It comes days after Moffat MRT helped check on drivers who were stranded for hours on the M74 in heavy snow.
Team leader Shaun Duignan said: “This has been a busy week for the team with many team members working through the night to help stranded drivers and then a rescue closer to the expected role of a mountain rescue team, rescuing someone from a remote inaccessible location.
“The team is pleased to have been able to assist the people of Dumfries and Galloway.”
Meanwhile, police urged motorists to travel with caution as conditions remained hazardous in some parts of the country.
With rain falling in some parts of the country they warned there may be slush, surface water and ice on the roads in some areas.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Please make sure that your vehicle is free of snow and ice and that you have appropriate supplies with you should the weather take a turn for the worse.”
Many parts of Scotland were hit by further snowfalls yesterday.
However, rain and milder temperatures are forecast over the next couple of days.