A climber has died in a 164 feet plunge in the Scottish Highlands. The 40-year-old man was with a climbing companion on the 3351ft high Stob Dearg on Buachaille Etive Mor, near Glencoe, when he slipped.
Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team sent 13 members to the incident. In an eight-hour rescue on Saturday - details of which have only now been released - the rescuers carried his body off the mountain while three others climbed up to his companion, who was stuck on a ledge about 2000 feet up.
They managed to rope him to safety and then the quartet were airlifted by a coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Inverness off the peak, which is a popular climbing route.
Deputy team leader Brian Bathurst said: "We would like to express our condolences to the man's family and friends. It was a tragic outcome sadly. He appears to have slipped on slabby rock.
"He and his companion were climbing in a pair and the conditions were fine. They were on a terrace moving on to the next stage when the accident happened. He fell about 50 metres (164ft). The other chap was cragfast on the terrace so he needed to be roped off."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said:"Police received a report that a man had fallen on Stob Dearg, Buachaille Etive Mor, around 11.15am on Saturday, 8 April, 2023. Emergency services attended and a 40-year-old man was pronounce dead at the scene.
"There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal."
It was one of four rescues the team carried out in a gruelling Bank Holiday period - including over several hours stretchering a dog with a broken leg to a vet after his owner had suffered a leg injury, slipping and falling on ice above the Lost Valley. In total the mountain rescue team clocked more than 250 man hours in call outs just over the Bank Holiday.
The rescue of the walker and his dog has echoes of the tragic loss in February of another hillwalker and his dog who fell almost 100 feet to their deaths in the area. The body of Kyle Sambrook and his beagle Bane were found in Glencoe after a massive three-day search.
The 33-year-old from West Yorkshire - who travelled to Glencoe in the Highlands the previous weekend with his dog - was found in a gully about 2625 feet (800 metres) up on the 3632 feet (1107 metre) high Stob Coire nam Beith. Rescuers believe Mr Sambrook from Featherstone, Wakefield, was carrying his dog with one hand down a steep slope in strong winds when he tragically fell into a deep gorge.
Mr Sambrook had driven by car to the area with plans to climb Buachaille Etive Mor with Bane. The search also echoed one in March, 2022, when the body of a hillwalker who went missing in the area was recovered.
Neil Gillingham, 43, from Kilmarnock, was last seen near the summit of 3632ft high Stob Coire Nam Beith while on a planned trek in Glencoe. Despite extensive searches he had not been previously found - though his spaniel Cooper was recovered safe and well.
Meanwhile a search for a student missing on the UK's highest mountain was suspended last night after no trace of him was found. Rescuers say hopes of finding Zekun Zhang alive are fading.
The 26-year-old student from London was with two other companions but has been missing on Ben Nevis since Tuesday. Zekun Zhang was last seen around 1pm near the summit of Carn Mor Dearg, and is believed to have walked a route from there to the 4413ft Ben Nevis summit. He had planned to return to the North Face car park, but did not return.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team have 12 members searching for him on Wednesday - joined by six members of a police MRT. "He was with two others, who decided to turn back, but he continued on," said Donald Paterson, leader of Lochaber MRT.
"There has been fresh snow down to 500 metres and the conditions deteriorated last night. To be out overnight in those conditions would be very challenging.
"In fact the wind chill would have plunged the temperature to minus 8 C. He was not well equipped to survive those conditions. He was basically wearing what he was pictured in. We re-traced his whole route without any sign of him and there has been fresh snow. Obviously at this stage hopes are fading."
Zekun is described as 5ft 8in tall, of medium build with short dark hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trousers, and black and grey boots. He was also carrying a black rucksack.
Police Sergeant Dawn Grant said: "We are appealing for anyone who may have seen Zekun to contact police immediately. In particular, I would urge anyone out on these walking routes on Tuesday, and today, who may have heard or seen something that will help us find Zekun to get in touch."
Walker Harvey Christian from Peterborough is still missing on the Ben. Hopes over finding Mr Christian alive have disappeared - and it is feared his body may have been buried under snow, making it difficult to find.
He went up Ben Nevis on January 27, but did not return. His car, a black Vauxhall Crossland X, was found parked in a layby in Glen Nevis.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
