3 climbers die in avalanche on Ben Nevis
THREE climbers were killed and another injured in an avalanche on Ben Nevis yesterday.
The four men were on one of the easiest and safest routes to the summit of the 4,413ft mountain when they were caught in the deadly snow slip.
Their deaths bring the total number of hikers to have been killed in Scotland’s mountains since November to 11.
Despite ‘brutal’ weather, the group, who are all believed to be Swiss, were said to have continued their climb up the UK’s highest mountain and were seen being swept away by a ‘massive’ avalanche late yesterday morning. The alarm was raised just after 11.50am, and police and rescue teams rushed to the mountain.
Donald Paterson, of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, said: ‘It must have fallen from 4,000ft at the top – and fell 1,500ft onto them.
‘A guide and an avalanche recorder from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service saw what happened and raised the alarm. One of the climbers died pretty instantaneously,
‘Conditions were brutal’
the other had CPR for half an hour but sadly did not respond and the other died while being taken down the mountain.
‘The fourth was in a serious condition and stretchered half-way down the mountain to where the helicopter took him to hospital in Glasgow.’
He added: ‘We did all we possibly could – we had every available person we could get hold of. There were four stretcher parties. We carried the bodies all the way down.’
Mr Paterson said it was a ‘natural avalanche’ and not ‘ human triggered’. He said: ‘The morning was nice but the conditions deteriorated. It was strong winds, snow, thunder and lightning – you name it. It was brutal conditions.’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘Police were informed that the avalanche had occurred in Number 5 Gully area at around 11:50am. Volunteers from Lochaber and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Teams remain at the scene and were assisted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Scottish Ambulance Service.’
The deaths come just two months after a Bristol University student fell to her death just 500ft from the summit.