Man stretchered off the hills after ridge rescue

A man had to be stretchered off the hills on Tuesday night after he fell while climbing the A’Chir ridge and suffered a head injury.

The Arran Mountain Rescue Team was called out at around 6pm and the search, and rescue helicopter from HMS Gannet was scrambled but, unfortunately, due to the casualty’s location on the ridge, the team was unable to evacuate him safely.

The rescue team was flown by Rescue 199 from its base to a safe location close to the casualty and, on reaching him, a rope rescue system was set up allowing the team to transfer the casualty safely into its stretcher and lower him down to safe ground.

The casualty was then carried down out of the Coire to a suitable location for the helicopter to evacuate him to the Arran War Memorial Hospital.

Incidents

It was the third call-out for the rescue team in as many days after two separate incidents in the hills last Saturday.

The first call-out came at around 12.30pm when the team was asked to assist in finding two female walkers who had become disoriented in the low cloud on Goatfell.

Both the Argocats were deployed, with one heading towards the shoulder area of Goatfell and the other towards the Coire Lan area. Due to a break in the clouds, the two walkers spotted off the path and managed to get themselves on to safer ground where they were met by team members and assisted down to High Corrie. Thankfully, both walkers were unharmed.

A few hours later, at around 4.50pm, the team was called out again to assist the Scottish Ambulance Service with an evacuation of a male who had sustained a lower leg injury in the Clauchlands area.

The casualty was made comfortable and stretchered into the team Land Rover where he was then transferred to Arran War Memorial Hospital for further treatment.