A pensioner who survived overnight on Ben Nevis in blizzard conditions earlier this year has returned to thank the team who saved his life.
Arthur Bowden, 71, was described as “one tough cookie” when he was rescued by members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, LMRT, after they found him in the late stages of hypothermia 4,000 feet up Britain’s highest mountain on March 21.
Mr Bowden, who is from the Central Belt, came back to Fort William to thank the four members who found him and to present the team with £500 he raised to support their vital work.
John Stevenson, the team leader, said: “We were delighted to see Arthur looking so well. He had severe frostbite on his hands and feet when he was found and he told us he might lose the tips of two fingers, but apart from that he is fine.
“He had actually started to climb the Ben the day before, but the weather turned really bad so he decided to head for the shelter on the summit.
“But later we were told he was lost, so four members went up to look for him. The conditions were dreadful – a real white-out – and it was really difficult to navigate, even for experienced climbers.
“Someone can be just feet away and you can’t see them. But fortunately, the weather cleared briefly and the team spotted him.”
The conditions were just too bad for the Coastguard rescue helicopter to lift Mr Bowden off the mountain where he was found, so the LMRT members wrapped him up and carried him 1,000 feet down the mountain path.
Once they were below the cloud base, the weather cleared sufficiently for the helicopter to winch him to safety. He was then taken by ambulance to the Belford Hospital in Fort William.
Mr Stevenson added: “Hypothermia can affect the mind and Arthur really didn’t think he was going to survive at all after spending the night on the Ben. His core temperature was very low and it was lucky that we found him when we did.
“It was a lovely gesture to raise this money for us and he said there would be more. It is much appreciated as we rely on donations.
“It was great to see him.”