A veteran who hoped to set a new world record for living on a tiny remote islet in Scotland had to be rescued following a 'Mayday' call.
Christopher "Cam" Cameron was nearly swept away prompting a response from the coastguard after 32 days on the islet of Rockall, over 200 miles off the west coast of Scotland.
Cam had set a target of 60 days but ultimately reached just over half of that when the worrying call came in. Christopher, an army veteran, served with the Gordon Highlanders.
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As the Record reports, he was forced to abandon the dangerous challenge overnight due to adverse weather. Cam's equipment was destroyed by the wind and waves and on several occasions during the night he was almost swept away.
Harry Brayford, expedition communications and shoreside manager, said: "I spoke to Cam at 08:30 BST on Wednesday, and we discussed the forecast for the coming days. It was apparent Cam had suffered a really rough night, and we needed to make a quick decision on whether to abort the expedition or push on.
"We looked at a number of options to safely extract Cam if required, but it quickly became apparent the most appropriate option was for him to issue a 'Mayday' call, which was picked up by HM Coastguard at Stornoway.
"They have coordinated the rescue mission, and as well as deploying vessels in the immediate vicinity, they deployed both rotary and fixed wing coastguard aircraft to assist him. He was winched onto the coastguard helicopter just before 6pm BST, and then flown back to dry land.
"Our heartfelt thanks go to the crews of the HM Coastguard aircraft and all the vessels in the area that assisted. It's disappointing to have to abort such an immense expedition, and whilst it was not an easy decision to make, it was the right one without question. I've spoken to Cam this evening and he's in remarkably good spirits considering. He's very much looking forward to a beer and a proper bed to sleep in."
Cam was aiming to stay on the island for 60 days to raise £50,000 for ABF, The Soldier's Charity and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
He had hoped to beat the current world record of 45 days, set by Nick Hancock in 2014. The uninhabited rock is 230 miles west of North Uist and is a mere 30m wide and 21m long.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed a search-and-rescue team was dispatched after receiving Mr Cameron's distress call.
A statement from Mr Cameron's family said: "We are hugely proud of all his achievements, but also that he had the courage to make what must have been a very difficult decision in the face of such dreadful weather.
"We are looking forward to welcoming him home and hope that any future adventures will be a little less risky."
His family joked: "Why couldn't he just have bought a sports car in the first place?"
Aaron Wheeler, documentary director of Rockall, The Edge of Existence which was following Cam's adventure added: "We're glad the cam is safely back on dry land and look forward to watching through the footage that Cam recorded during his occupation to tell the story of his adventure."
Donations can still be made at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rockallexped
