Royal and Dutch marines have helped save the life of a stranded climber on Ben Nevis after finding him alone near the summit in severe winter conditions as a blizzard raged and temperatures fell well below freezing.
The climber had abandoned either his ascent or descent of Britain’s highest mountain and was discovered curled up in the snow close to the summit, separated from his two companions and showing clear signs of prolonged exposure.
“Solid blocks of ice clung to his eyebrows, hat, and gloves, evidence of long exposure to freezing conditions,” said Colour Sergeant McKenzie of the Royal Marine Reserves Scotland.
“One walking pole was bent; the other appeared broken or fully collapsed.
“When spoken to, he revealed that he had become separated from his two friends and had no idea where they were.”
The group that came to his aid was made up of reservist green berets from Royal Marine Reserves Scotland alongside their counterparts from the Dutch Korps Mariniers, who were in the Highlands taking part in Exercise Highland Warrior, a mountain training programme.
Conditions on the mountain were extreme, with fierce winds and deep cold compounding the danger faced by anyone exposed near the summit.
“The wind was biting and relentless, and based on conditions we had experienced earlier in the week during Royal Marines mountain training, we estimated gusts to be around 40 mph,” C/Sgt McKenzie said.
“Combined with the summit temperature, this put the wind chill somewhere in the region of –15°C to –20°C, making any exposed skin sting almost instantly.”
The climber was not wearing crampons and repeatedly slipped on the icy slope, while the marines themselves were also beginning to feel the effects of prolonged exposure during the descent.
“To speed things up, one of the Dutch lads took his arm to steady him, but his condition continued to deteriorate,” C/Sgt McKenzie explained.
“A second Dutch Marine moved to his other side so the pair could support him fully.
“This improved his stability, but the awkward spacing led to several crampons being knocked loose, forcing multiple short halts to resecure them.”
During one of those stops, the climber’s condition worsened rapidly and unmistakably.
“During the final stop to fix a crampon, his deterioration became unmistakable.
“His posture sagged, his coordination faltered, and his responses slowed.
“Then he said he couldn’t bend his leg, a clear sign that cold, exhaustion, and exposure were now affecting his physical functions.
“He was entering hypothermia, and it was obvious he would not be walking in the immediate future.”
Using standard equipment carried for their training, including a waterproof bivvy sack, ropes, a mat and a thick jacket, the marines improvised a stretcher and began hauling the casualty down the mountain.
“If we hadn’t seen him, he certainly would not have survived,” said Sergeant Onno Lankhaar, section commander for the Dutch marines.
Once the group reached the snowline, the climber’s condition had improved enough for him to walk independently and he was handed over to emergency services as a precaution, while his two fellow climbers were later confirmed to have made it safely down the mountain.
C/Sgt McKenzie said the rescue also highlighted the importance of preparation and training.
“It was not only a privilege to be invited by the Dutch to join them on their bucket-list climb of Ben Nevis, but also an absolute pleasure to work alongside them throughout the day.
“A major reason we were able to respond as effectively as we did was the excellent training delivered by Sergeant Rich Ely and Major Matt O’Toole in the days leading up to this event.
“The skills, drills and preparation they reinforced during the week directly enabled us to deal with the situation confidently and safely when it mattered.”
