‘Nervous’ climber too scared to descend Old Man of Stoer prompts coastguard call out
A climber was at the centre of a dramatic rescue after becoming stuck on a 60 metre (200ft) sandstone sea stack in Sutherland.
The male climber became crag fast on the Old Man of Stoer on Saturday evening and needed help to get down.
Coastguard teams from Achiltibuie and Ullapool were called to assist the man, who appeared to be in climbing gear, but nervous about finding his way down the sea stack.
The coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway was also dispatched.
A coastguard spokesman said: “The area was difficult to secure a winch for the climber so we lowered a winch man paramedic onto the stack to speak with the climber.
“The paramedic spoke to the climber, who had become nervous and helped him to walk down the stack.
“Coastguard rescue teams remained at the scene to provide any assistance needed.
“The climber did his best and was properly dressed in bright orange clothes, but after becoming nervous, he was unable to get off the sea stack.”
The man made it to safety and was uninjured.
It was one of three callouts for the Stornoway coastguard rescue centre on Saturday.
A woman collapsed on Ben Nevis and the Inverness coastguard helicopter was sent to the woman at 5.18pm.
She was taken from the UK's highest mountain to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, arriving at 8.48pm.
Her condition is unknown.
Around the same time, at 5pm on Saturday, a woman was discovered in difficulty close to the summit of 3238 feet high Conival in Assynt.
Assynt Mountain Rescue Team said the walker had become disoriented.
"They had lost the path in the cloud and had found themselves on steep loose ground from which they did not feel safe to continue moving," said a spokesperson.
"Upon reaching the walker and assessing the terrain, the decision was made to request helicopter assistance from HM Coastguard. The crew of Rescue 948 from Stornoway responded quickly, and with some expert flying due to the still conditions, winched the casualty on board the helicopter and onward to safety."
