A stranded climber was stretchered a mile down a mountain by Cairngorm Mountain Rescue in -2C snow blizzards yesterday.
The woman became separated from others in her party near Coire an t-Sneachda, with the full mountain rescue team dispatched at around 5.30pm.
Her rescuers say they doubt she would have survived the night due to the “horrendous” weather conditions.
A yellow weather warning was in force, with 80mph winds and heavy snow making the rescue at over 3,100ft extremely challenging.
Suffering from exhaustion and extreme cold, the team for attempted to rewarm the casualty with heating pads after locating her within the boulder field at Coire an t-Sneachda.
She was then bundled onto a stretcher with special “blizzard blankets” before the team carried her back down the mountain.
Video footage shows the team trudging through snow as they pushed through the strong winds and snow while carrying the stretcher to their specialist snow vehicle.
The team eventually made it back to base safely by 10.30pm.
Cairngorm casualty ‘encountered horrendous conditions’
Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team leader Iain Cornfoot told MailOnline: “She was very cold and suffering from exhaustion.
“The conditions she had encountered were horrendous.
“In fact they were so bad – 80mph winds and heavy snow – we would not have gone out at that time. It was just too dangerous.
“She was lucky the conditions improved.
“Fortunately the wind dropped and that allowed us to reach her.
“It was just as well because I don’t think she would have survived the night.”
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