A climber was dramatically rescued from where she had become stranded in the snow covered Scottish Highlands in -2C conditions.
The woman was unable to walk when she was found in the dark by the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team on Saturday night and needed to be stretchered away.
The emergency service tweeted that the full 17 member team had been called out at 5.30pm to news the climber had become separated from the other two members of her group.
A video, which has now been seen more than 16,000 times, shows the snow falling in dramatic scenes as the woman is carried away and put onto a rescue vehicle.
Full team call out last night at 17.30 for a climber who had become separate from their party. The climber was located in the boulder field of Coire an t-Sneachda very cold and suffering from exhaustion. pic.twitter.com/md5NkfB3Dr
— Cairngorm MRT (@cairngorm_mrt) December 31, 2023
A statement on Twitter read: “The climber was located in the boulder field of Coire an t-Sneachda, very cold and suffering from exhaustion.”
The statement added: “[The climber was] Unable to walk due to exhaustion and after some rewarming we packaged the climber into our stretcher using blizzard blankets and heat pads and carried them out to our Can-Am that was waiting in Coire Cas. Everyone [was] safe and back at base 22.30.”
The woman had become stranded 4,000 feet up in Scotland's Cairngorm mountains where 80mph winds and heavy snow is common in late December.
Earlier this week, a road closed because of snow, leaving drivers trapped for hours in the Highlands. Back in November a rescue mission was also carried out to save a sheep that had been dubbed the loneliest in Britain.
Huge respect to the volunteers of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, @Cairngorm_MRTpic.twitter.com/9EuG4QCy9Y
— @IanYorston@mastodon.online (@IanYorston) December 5, 2021
Team leader Iain Cornfoot told the Mail Online: “The conditions she had encountered were horrendous.
“In fact they were so bad - 80mph winds and heavy snow - we would not have gone out at that time. It was just too dangerous. She was lucky the conditions improved.
“Fortunately the wind dropped and that allowed us to reach her. It was just as well because I don't think she would have survived the night.”
On Twitter, commenters had expressed their gratitude to the team for their efforts in saving the woman.
“Thanks for everything you are doing - amazing job in terrible conditions,” Professor Ewen Harrison wrote.
Alan Breck added: “Sorry that you got a call out guys when I’m sure that you might have had other plans. Truly 365 days a year and 24 hours every day. Mucho respect!”
