A young mountain climber has tragically passed away after plummeting over 1000ft to his death whilst attempting to climb Ben Nevis.
The deadly descent saw up to 17 others become trapped whilst attempting to rescue him - including 12 soldiers, the Daily Mail has reported.
The unnamed 28-year old allegedly slipped and fell whilst battling 'ferocious' winds and icy conditions atop Britain’s highest peak on Tuesday, after ascending almost 3000ft up the Scottish mountain.
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The climbers he had ascended with soon became stranded following the incident as they attempted to rescue him, prompting an intervention from another group, believed to be made up of 12 soldiers from Edinburgh, who came to their aid and attempted to assist the troubled climbers.
However, in chaotic scenes brought about by the bad weather, all 17 climbers soon became stuck too, sparking an eight-hour rescue mission which saw several people get airlifted by mountain rescue helicopters.
The climber who died was not from the Army, although one of the soldiers that tried to save him broke his ankle and another ended up suffering from mild abrasions, causing them to require hospital treatment for their minor injuries.
In the end, a total of 40 rescuers had to be sent to the mountaintop from Prestwick and Inverness, with some of the climbers being walked off the hill to safety.
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Speaking on the incident, Deputy team leader of Lochaber MRT, Donald Paterson, said that the conditions on the mountain were 'classic Alpine conditions'.
"Springlike in the glen but above the snow line everything is solid and an ice axe and crampons are essential and knowing how to use them," he said.
"But this chap had fallen conservatively about 300 metres (984ft). Then others went to help him and they too ended up in trouble. One had a broken ankle and another multiple abrasions.
"As the night wore on the conditions got worse. Members of the party could have been better prepared for the conditions.
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"We would like to express our condolences to the deceased's family and friends."
Brian Bathurst, deputy team leader of Glencoe MRT, said the conditions were 'ferocious'.
"The snow fields are glazed over with ice and are quite lethal," he said, "One slip and you will go a long way.
"The conditions last night were very difficult - as well as the ice there were very strong winds and rain. The helicopters did an amazing job."
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In an additional statement published on Facebook, the Lochaber MRT said: "The past 5 days has been especially busy for the team. Since Saturday we’ve had 12 callouts and recovered 26 casualties.
“It would be remiss if we didn’t stress just how important it is to be adequately prepared for winter in the hills. Having the ability to competently navigate with map and compass as well as having and being able to use crampons and axe are vital skills to have if you’re venturing into the hills.”
Six people have died in the Scottish mountains in the last two weeks and police have urged walkers and climbers to take care, the BBC has reported.
Topics: UK News
Tom Sanders