A young couple had an unexpected number of guests at their wedding when a helicopter landed to help an injured hill climber.
But it was all in a day’s volunteering for 13 members of the busy Skye Mountain Rescue Team who were called out twice in 24 hours to help people on the hillside on Monday and Tuesday.
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Skye Mountain Rescue Team and the Coastguard rescue helicopter were called shortly after 3.45pm on Tuesday to assist an American woman who had fallen and broken her leg on Storr.
Team leader Neil Urquhart explained: “The young American had slipped on the grass and broke her leg and we were called out and the helicopter was required to assist us from Stornoway.
“The hillside was very busy, so we set up a cordon for the helicopter. People are quite often eager to get up close to take a picture of the helicopter – but of course we are generally dealing with seriously injured or ill patients.
“At that point, the marriage procession was coming down the hillside, and had to be diverted. They had just got married and had to be moved away.
Neil Urquhart said: “We were all so focused on getting the injured woman down the hill, and making sure there was a cordon around the helicopter that we didn’t get the name of the bride, or the groom.
“My wife Helen stopped for a moment to wish them well, and held the wedding flowers while the bridesmaid took the photograph. The grass was very slippy.
“It was one of those moments that can so often happen on the hillside. We all just continued on with the rescue.
“Later on in the day, some of the crew saw the bride and her dress looked as if it was very muddy indeed.”
On Monday, 13 members of the team were out searching for a European couple who were lost on the hillside. Skye MRT was called at 10.30am and the couple were finally led to safety at 4pm.
Mr Urquhart said: “Walkers from abroad are often not used to the lack of path markers and directions on the hillside. People need to remember to be prepared.
“We were glad to get this couple back down the hillside at Quirang and to their car.
“They were safe and well.”
