Incident reports

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March 2018

1 incident

Ochils, near Menstrie

missing person Highlands Serious incident

A 51-year-old woman from Alloa went missing on 1 March 2018 after becoming lost in the Ochils near Menstrie during blizzard conditions. Despite a major search and rescue operation involving police, coastguard and mountain rescue volunteers, her body was recovered the following afternoon near Dumyat Farm.

Outcome: casualty found deceased

February 2018

1 incident

Wester Ross, Achnashellach

missing person Highlands Serious incident

Two brothers and their dog went missing on a hill walk in the Wester Ross area on Thursday morning. Mountain rescue teams found the body of one brother, Alan Gibson, on Saturday, while the search for his brother Neil continued. Weather conditions during the search were described as tricky with frequent snow showers.

Outcome: body recovered

September 2017

1 incident

Goat Fell, Isle of Arran

injured walker Scotland

A 64-year-old walker sustained a leg injury in a fall on Goat Fell, Isle of Arran at approximately 13:00 on Wednesday. Arran Mountain Rescue Team attended and carried her to safety on a stretcher, after which she was airlifted to hospital by coastguard helicopter.

Outcome: airlifted to hospital by coastguard helicopter

July 2017

2 incidents
hikers with fall injuries Northern Ireland Serious incident

Two hikers were rescued from Slieve Bearnagh in the Mourne mountains after falls on steep rocky ground. One man suffered head and back injuries after falling near granite slabs, and a second was injured while attempting to assist. Both were airlifted to hospital by Coastguard helicopters.

Outcome: both casualties airlifted to hospital by Coastguard helicopters

Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis

fatal fall Highlands Serious incident

A climber died after falling on Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis on Saturday morning. The Coastguard rescue helicopter recovered the casualty from the difficult location and transferred them to an ambulance, but they had sustained fatal injuries.

Outcome: casualty recovered but died of injuries sustained in fall

June 2017

1 incident

Oban

missing person Highlands Serious incident

A woman from Lochgilphead who was reported missing was found deceased in Oban. The incident resulted in a fatality.

Outcome: body recovered

May 2017

1 incident

Machrie, Arran

missing person Scotland

A 77-year-old man from Machrie on Arran went missing on an evening walk on Tuesday 30 May, last seen near the village golf course at 18:10. Despite an extensive search involving police, Arran Mountain Rescue, RAF, RNLI and coastguard, he remained missing several days later. The man is vulnerable, requires daily medication, and has poor mobility.

January 2017

1 incident

Ben Lomond

walkers caught in severe weather Highlands

Four walkers became stuck in severe weather on Ben Lomond. Two were airlifted by Coastguard helicopter and two were escorted to safety by Lomond Mountain Rescue Team members in challenging conditions including snow and high winds.

Outcome: two airlifted by helicopter, two assisted off mountain by rescue team

August 2016

2 incidents

Ruadh Stac Mor

fallen climber Highlands Serious incident

A member of Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team died after slipping and falling on Ruadh Stac Mor on 12 August while setting up a radio relay station for a charity event. Despite activating his personal locator beacon and being rescued by team members within six hours, he was seriously injured and subsequently died in hospital.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by helicopter, died in hospital

March 2016

1 incident

Goat Fell, Isle of Arran

injured walker Scotland Serious incident

A woman fell 100–150 metres near the summit of Goat Fell on the Isle of Arran on Monday afternoon, sustaining various injuries. She was winched to safety by coastguard search and rescue helicopter, and the rest of her party were guided down by team members.

Outcome: casualty airlifted by helicopter

February 2016

1 incident

Ben Nevis

missing persons Highlands Serious incident

Two climbers from Bradford, Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, went missing on Ben Nevis on 15 February 2016 after failing to return from an outing. Mountain rescuers conducted ongoing search efforts in the Coire na Ciste area, hampered by hazardous weather including snow and high winds. The status of the couple remained unresolved at the time of reporting.

Outcome: unresolved search continuing

January 2016

3 incidents
Climbing/Rescue North East

Mountain rescue volunteers assisted a young boy who became stuck on a climbing crag at the Drake Stone. The operation required rigging a technical rope system to safely lower him to ground level after a two-and-a-half-hour effort involving multiple agencies.

Outcome: Rescued safely

Border Ridge, Cheviots

hypothermic walker Southern Uplands Serious incident

A walker found in severe hypothermia on the Border Ridge during the Spine Race on 16 January 2016 was treated at the Auchope Shelter and evacuated by Coastguard helicopter. The rescue team credited the mountain refuge hut with saving the casualty's life, and he was expected to make a full recovery.

Outcome: evacuated by Coastguard helicopter, expected to make full recovery

Ben Lomond

lost walkers Highlands Serious incident

Two poorly equipped walkers became lost on Ben Lomond during descent in winter conditions and ended up at an isolated farm north of the mountain. Lomond Mountain Rescue Team located them at Comer Farm in the evening after a search involving ground teams and a helicopter. The walkers were found cold and wet but uninjured, having fallen several times during their descent in darkness.

Outcome: located at Comer Farm, cold and wet but uninjured

October 2015

1 incident

Ben Nevis, Observatory Gully

climbers in difficulty Highlands

Four climbers spent a night on Ben Nevis after encountering difficulty during their descent in Observatory Gully. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team located the party and assisted them to a location where a coastguard helicopter airlifted them from the mountain. None of the group sustained injuries.

Outcome: airlifted by coastguard helicopter, uninjured

September 2015

2 incidents

Liathach, Torridon

missing person Highlands Serious incident

A 65-year-old experienced hillrunner and member of Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team went missing after setting out on a running trip in Torridon on 20 September 2015. His body was found on Liathach on 26 September 2015 after a major multi-agency search. Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

Outcome: body recovered

Arran (Catacol)

Paragliding accident/Rescue Scotland

A paraglider sustained injuries after being involved in a mid-air collision on Arran. Members of the local Mountain Rescue Team were required to abseil down a cliff at Catacol to reach him. He was subsequently flown to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Outcome: Injured, transported to hospital

July 2015

1 incident
lost group, poor weather Northern Ireland

Seven teenage girls, aged 16 and 17, were rescued from the Mourne mountains after becoming lost in poor weather and limited visibility. The group, on a Girls Brigade camping trip, called for help and sheltered in a tent near Blue Lough. Two girls were treated for exposure, with one hospitalised as a precaution, but all were reunited with their families.

Outcome: all rescued; two treated for exposure, one taken to hospital as precaution

March 2015

2 incidents

Ptarmigan Ridge, Ben Lomond

under-equipped walkers stuck in winter conditions Highlands Serious incident

A group of three inexperienced walkers became stuck in winter conditions on Ptarmigan Ridge, Ben Lomond, during a seven-hour rescue operation. One casualty sustained a minor injury from a fall on ice, and the group was rescued by 22 volunteers from Lomond Mountain Rescue Team after being provided with microspikes and guidance down the mountain.

Outcome: all casualties rescued and brought to safety; one treated for minor injury

Ben Lomond, Ptarmigan ridge

fatal fall Highlands Serious incident

A walker died after falling approximately 1,000ft from the Ptarmigan ridge on Ben Lomond in winter conditions. He was airlifted from the scene by Royal Navy Sea King helicopter. The incident prompted Lomond Mountain Rescue Team to warn walkers about the continued winter hazards on Scottish mountain tops despite milder conditions at lower elevations.

Outcome: casualty fatality

January 2015

3 incidents

Coireag Dubh Mor, Torridon

avalanche fatality Highlands Serious incident

Two experienced climbers from Suffolk were caught in an avalanche on Coireag Dubh Mor in Torridon on Friday night. One climber was found walking out to seek help on Saturday afternoon, but the other was discovered deceased. Mountain rescue teams and coastguard helicopter assisted in the search despite severe weather conditions.

Outcome: one climber killed, one climber survived

Leithen Water, near Innerleithen

missing person with hypothermia Southern Uplands Serious incident

A rescue dog named Rauour, working with Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, located a critically injured woman trapped in tree roots during a blizzard near Innerleithen in January 2015. The unconscious casualty was suffering from advanced hypothermia and was airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy helicopter. The dog's detection skills proved instrumental in finding the casualty in thick forest conditions where a larger ground search team would have been less effective.

Outcome: casualty airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy helicopter