Published on Thursday 14 February 2013 21:41
TWO climbers have died and another was fighting for life last night after being struck by an avalanche and swept down a steep, rocky mountainside in the Cairngorms.A major rescue operation was launched in the Chalamain Gap area of the mountain range, south-east of Aviemore, when the alarm was raised this afternoon.
It is believed there were two parties of six on the hill when the avalanche was triggered, sweeping a man and woman from one group and a man from another down the slopes.
All three climbers were airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) where one was pronounced dead on arrival. A second climber has died and the other, a man, remains “critically ill”, a spokesman for NHS Grampian said. Police, mountain rescue teams, search and rescue dogs and an RAF helicopter were involved in the operation.
Mountain rescuers found a man buried under the snow within two hours, and then located the other pair shortly afterwards. They were all flown to ARI.
A source from the emergency services said: “We believe they were all alive when discovered, but were in a bad way. They have been flown to ARI, which specialises in head trauma.
“Although there were two parties in the area, we believe only three people were actually avalanched. The rest were able to be walked off the hill uninjured.”
The incident was the latest tragedy in the Scottish mountains, taking the total up to eight lives claimed this year.
Scotsman
