Stretchered 1,500ft in dramatic eight-hour rescue
MOUNTAIN rescue teams stretchered an injured climber 1,500ft down a mountain in a dramatic eighthour rescue.
Around 20 volunteers from Ogwen Valley and RAF Valley mountain rescue teams were called to the incident on Tryfan in Snowdonia last Thursday afternoon.
It came after a man fell 20ft down the north face of the mountain and was left unable to walk.
The man was part of a party of nine people including three supervisors and six teenagers.
Chris Lloyd, of Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team, said: “One of the leaders took a 20ft tumbling fall – he was conscious but unable to walk.
“Rescue teams were alerted and a member of Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team happened to be in the area and was able to assist the group.
“The coastguard helicopter was called to help but couldn’t due to low cloud cover so we called upon RAF Valley Mountain Rescue Team to help and they sent 11 members.
“The two remaining instructors from the group managed to walk the six adolescents down the mountain while rescue teams helped the casualty.
“We had to stretcher the man around 1,500ft down the rocky face to a place where the helicopter was able to winch him and take him to hospital at around 7.30pm.
“Our teams made it off the mountain by around 9pm. We are extremely grateful to our colleagues at RAF Valley and the coastguard for their assistance.”
Mr Lloyd said that the rescue was very difficult as it was technical with teams having to use ropes to get the man to safety.
RAF Valley MRT posted on Facebook: “The RAF Valley MRT troops were called out yesterday to assist Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation with an injured walker on Tryfan.
“With the casualty high up on the North Ridge and with the Coastguard helicopter unable to get in due to the weather conditions, over 20 Ogwen and Valley troops deployed on the hill ready for what was going to be a difficult technical lower on complex terrain. Once on scene, the injured walker was treated for his injuries and packaged into a stretcher for the lowering process to begin. “Four technical lowers later and the casualty was down at the Heather Terrace below the cloud base. Rescue 936 had been requested and were able to fly in, winch down and pick the casualty up for onward transport to hospital.”