Marines on a training exercise saved the life of a stranded climber who had begun to succumb to exposure on Ben Nevis in freezing conditions.
The team found the man curled up in the snow near the summit of the Scottish mountain on 24 January, as temperatures plunged during a blizzard.
The rescue squad consisted of Scottish Royal Marine Reserves (RMR) and the Dutch Korps Mariniers.
RMR Colour Sergeant McKenzie said: “Solid blocks of ice clung to his eyebrows, hat, and gloves – evidence of long exposure to freezing conditions.
“One walking pole was bent, the other appeared broken or fully collapsed.
“When spoken to, he revealed that he had become separated from his two friends and had no idea where they were.
“The wind was biting and relentless, and based on conditions we had experienced earlier in the week during Royal Marines mountain training, we estimated gusts to be around 40mph.
“Combined with the summit temperature, this put the wind chill somewhere in the region of -15C to -20C, making any exposed skin sting almost instantly.”
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To speed things up, two of the Dutch marines took hold of the climber’s arms on either side to support him.
This improved his stability, but the awkward spacing led to several crampons being knocked loose, forcing multiple short halts to resecure them.
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C/Sgt McKenzie added: “During the final stop to fix a crampon, his deterioration became unmistakable. His posture sagged, his coordination faltered, and his responses slowed.
“Then he said he couldn’t bend his leg, a clear sign that cold, exhaustion, and exposure were now affecting his physical functions.
“He was entering hypothermia, and it was obvious he would not be walking in the immediate future.”
The marines created an improvised stretcher using a bivvy sack, ropes, a mat and a jacket, bringing the climber down the mountain to safety.
“If we hadn’t seen him, he certainly would not have survived,” said Sergeant Onno Lankhaar, section commander for the Dutch marines.
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They were in Scotland for Exercise Highland Warrior, a mountain-training event with the RMR.
Once the group reached the snowline, the climber was well enough to be able to walk independently and was handed over to emergency services as a precaution.
