Scotland

Rescue pushes HMS Gannet crew to limit

Details have just emerged of one of the most challenging rescues faced by any HMS Gannet duty crew this year.

A lone walker was plucked to safety by a Royal Navy helicopter from munro Beinn Sgulaird in the grip of low cloud, pitch darkness and swirling blizzards.

A four-strong team was switched from routine training to the mountain between Glen Creran and Glen Etive.

The climber was in a precarious position near the 3,074ft summit and it was a race against time for the Prestwick-based Sea King helicopter in extreme conditions flying very close to the mountain’s rock face to recover him to safety.

“It was very dark and very cold,” explained aircraft commander and pilot Lieutenant Commander Craig Sweeney. “The cloud base was at around 1000ft when we arrived and it really did look doubtful as to whether we would be able to fly up the mountain at all.

“However, what was also clear was that the casualty had a serious ankle injury of some kind and was not going to be able to walk down the mountain.

“Taking that into account and the harsh wintry conditions, and the fact that in such low temperatures every minute can make a huge difference to survival, we set to work to try and get through.

“We collected three members of Glen Coe Mountain Rescue Team and began a slow hover-taxi up the mountain.

“Above 1500ft we were into cloud and recirculating snow, which made for extremely delicate flying – essentially our only visual references came from the mountain itself.

“And in order to see this reference which would allow me and the crew to ascend safely, we had to go extremely close to the rock face throughout the whole journey up the mountain – that’s how bad the visibility was. All around us was nothing but swirling snow and we were very close to white out conditions – essentially, as a pilot I could see nothing.

“And a rock face is a pretty formidable hazard. Coupled with the snow and swirling cloud whipped up by the downwash from the rotors, it made the conditions exceptionally challenging.

“It was intense flying which relied on dozens of years of the whole crew’s experience and expertise, and really full-on team work. I have trained and worked with Chief Petty Officer Jason Bibby, my winchman, all around the world and, more notably, have practised this very technique both in the arctic conditions of Norway and the desert sands of Afghanistan, where you get a very similar thing happening when the rotors kick up the fine sand particles.

“And it all led to us being able to get the job done safely and as quickly as possible in some of the worst conditions we have experienced this year.

“It was a long, slow process and it paid off when we got just below the summit where we found the walker. He had had the forethought to shine a torch, which we were just able to make out, and together I and my co-pilot Lieutenant Mark Wielopolski managed to get the helicopter into a position where we could set down the three members of MRT and our aircrewman.

“Conditions underfoot for the rescuers were absolutely treacherous and it was also extremely steep at that point.

“Our winchman Jason is also a qualified paramedic and was able to make immediate on-site assessment of the casualty.

“It appears he had slipped and hurt his leg, and had been lucky enough to fall in an area where he had enough mobile coverage to raise the alarm.

“The casualty had managed to keep himself warm in a bivvy bag, so he wasn’t suffering too badly from the cold. But I think he was pretty pleased and relieved to see Jason, the MRT guys and our helicopter.”

The team transferred the MRT down to the base of the mountain before delivering the casualty to Belford Hospital in Fort William, where they arrived with a mere five minutes of fuel left – they were able to refuel at Corpach.