DRAMATIC VIDEO OF HELICOPTER RESCUE OF CLIMBER INJURED ON BEN NEVIS

DRAMATIC VIDEO OF HELICOPTER RESCUE OF CLIMBER INJURED ON BEN NEVIS

A dramatic video has emerged of the daring helicopter rescue of a climber who was injured in a fall on the UK’s highest mountain.

The climber was struggling 3,000ft above ground when he lost his footing as he was hit in the hand and leg by falling rocks on Ben Nevis.

The Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Inverness and Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was called out to rescue the climber on Sunday.

Footage shows the snowy slopes of the 4,412ft peak, and the climber, a man in his 50s, can be seen lying near the edge of a rocky ridge surrounded by members of his party.

The helicopter winchman is lowered down to the group, then winched back into the aircraft with the casualty.

They can be seen spiralling wildly before the winchman manages to grab the side of the helicopter to steady the pair and stop the injured climber from spinning in mid-air.

A coastguard spokesman said: “Police Scotland called in the Coastguard helicopter to help rescue a climber who had fallen and injured his hand and leg 1,000m (3,300ft) above sea level.”

A police spokeswoman said they received the call for assistance at about 1.15pm on Sunday.

The man was climbing on Castle Ridge with a group of visitors to the area when he fell.

She said: “He was airlifted off the hill by the Coastguard helicopter, then taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William by road ambulance.

“He suffered leg injuries and was kept in hospital overnight.”

Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team leader John Stevenson said his team had been on stand-by, but had not needed to go to the scene of the accident.

He said: “I don’t think the casualty fell very far. I believe it was caused by a rock fall.

“The rocks gave way and came down – one injured his hand and another hit him on the leg.”

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