Injured mountain rescue team member stretchered off Cairngorms in blizzard conditions
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An injured member of a mountain rescue team was stretchered nearly two-and-a-half miles in blizzard conditions in the Cairngorms last night.
In a five-and-a-half hour operation, fellow rescuers battled "horrendous" weather.
The man was a member of Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team in Cumbria which was winter skills training in the area.
But he slipped on ice and suffered a bad leg injury about 3000ft up Coire an t-Sneachda, one of the most accessible of Britain's high mountain corries.
It prompted a call out around 4pm to Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team which has shared a video of the rescue on its Facebook page.
Team leader Iain Cornfoot said 22 members of the team were sent.
"They were awful conditions, really bad," he said.
"There were blizzards, falling snow, drifting snow and the rocky terrain was very challenging too. It was horrendous at times.
"The man had suffered a lower leg injury after slipping on the flat.
"He was initially treated by his fellow members from Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team who were winter skills training.
"Then he was carried by stretcher over 4kms (2.48 miles) in terrible conditions to the ski area car park."
An ambulance took the man to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. His condition is unknown.
Mr Cornfoot added:"The conditions are very changeable at the moment and the avalanche risk has increased so people need to be very aware of that."
