Marines on training exercise rescue climber in freezing conditions on Ben Nevis
Ice was beginning to form on the man’s eyebrows due to the length of time he had been exposed to the conditions.
Marines on a training exercise saved the life of a climber who had begun to succumb to exposure on Ben Nevis in freezing conditions.
The team found the man lying in the snow near the summit of the Scottish mountain on January 24, as temperatures plunged during a blizzard.
The rescue squad consisted of Scottish Royal Marine Reserves (RMR) and the Dutch Korps Mariniers, and they said ice had started to form on exposed parts of the man’s body due to the length of time he had been in the conditions.
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 minus 15C to minus 20C, making any exposed skin sting almost instantly.”
On the rescue, he added: “To speed things up, one of the Dutch lads took his arm to steady him, but his condition continued to deteriorate.
“A second Dutch marine moved to his other side so the pair could support him fully. This improved his stability, but the awkward spacing led to several crampons being knocked loose, forcing multiple short halts to resecure them.
“During the final stop to fix a crampon, his deterioration became unmistakable. His posture sagged, his co-ordination 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 Sgt Onno Lankhaar, section commander for the Dutch marines.
They were in Scotland for Exercise Highland Warrior, a mountain-training event with the RMR.
C/Sgt McKenzie added: “It was not only a privilege to be invited by the Dutch to join them on their bucket-list climb of Ben Nevis, but also an absolute pleasure to work alongside them throughout the day.
“A major reason we were able to respond as effectively as we did was the excellent training delivered by Sergeant Rich Ely and Major Matt O’Toole in the days leading up to this event.
“The skills, drills and preparation they reinforced during the week directly enabled us to deal with the situation confidently and safely when it mattered.”
