Hero British and Dutch Marines brave -20C white-out blizzard and improvise stretcher to save climber on Britain’s highest mountain
Hero Royal and Dutch marines have helped save the life of a climber found suffering from hypothermia near the summit of Ben Nevis as a blizzard battered Britain’s highest mountain.
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The mountaineer had abandoned his climb or descent and was discovered curled up in the snow in sub-zero temperatures, with high winds and near white-out conditions sweeping the summit.
“Solid blocks of ice clung to his eyebrows, hat and gloves, clear evidence of long exposure to freezing conditions,” said Colour Sergeant McKenzie from Royal Marines Reserve Scotland. “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 rescue was carried out by a mixed group of reservist green berets from RMR Scotland and Dutch marines from the Korps Mariniers, who were climbing the mountain as part of joint cold-weather training.
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Conditions on the mountain were described as extreme. “The wind was biting and relentless,” C/Sgt McKenzie said. “Based on what we had experienced earlier in the week during mountain training, we estimated gusts at around 40mph. Combined with the summit temperature, that put wind chill somewhere between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees Celsius. Any exposed skin stung almost instantly.”
The climber, who was not wearing crampons, repeatedly slipped on the icy slope. As his condition worsened, Dutch marines moved to support him on both sides, but the difficult terrain caused several of their crampons to become dislodged, forcing repeated stops.
“During the final halt to fix a crampon, his deterioration became unmistakable,” C/Sgt McKenzie said. “His posture sagged, coordination faltered and responses slowed. When he said he could not bend his leg, it was clear cold, exhaustion and exposure were affecting his physical functions. He was entering hypothermia and it was obvious he would not be walking any further.”
Using standard training equipment, including a waterproof bivvy sack, ropes, a mat and a thick jacket, the marines improvised a stretcher and hauled the casualty down the mountain.
“If we hadn’t seen him, he certainly would not have survived,” said Sgt Onno Lankhaar, a section commander with the Dutch marines, who were in Scotland for Exercise Highland Warrior, a joint mountain training package.
Once below the snowline, the climber recovered sufficiently to walk independently and was handed over to emergency services as a precaution. His two companions were later confirmed to have made it safely down the mountain.
C/Sgt McKenzie said the successful rescue was a direct result of recent training. “It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside the Dutch marines, but a major reason we could respond so effectively was the excellent training delivered in the days leading up to this climb. The skills and preparation reinforced during the week enabled us to deal with the situation confidently and safely when it mattered.”