Sandy Brownlie, right, and David Sievewright meet Chief Petty Officer Daz Craig at HMS Gannet

A walker who had to be airlifted to hospital after falling in the Highlands returned to thank the helicopter crew that rescued him.

Alexander Brownlie, 63, of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, was walking with his friend David Sievewright in the Trossachs when he fell 9m (30ft) on to a forest path near Loch Ard in June last year.

A Royal Navy search and rescue helicopter from HMS Gannet was in the area on a training exercise and quickly reached the stricken walker – known as Sandy. The tricky rescue involved Chief Petty Officer Darren Craig, the crew’s winchman and paramedic, being dropped nearby and going to Mr Brownlie’s aid.

The seasoned munro-bagger had broken his femur and had numerous cuts and bruises.

He was stabilised and put on a stretcher by the winchman, known as Daz.

An HMS Gannet Sea King at work over the forest. Photo: Ian Arthur/Royal Navy

Because of forest cover, the Sea King helicopter had to hover higher than normal and Mr Brownlie and Daz were threaded through the tree canopy 46m (150ft) into the helicopter.

Mr Brownlie said: “Boy was I glad to see the big red helicopter coming towards me. I was so glad that the crew was quickly with me.

“I was in quite a lot of pain and was glad to receive some morphine from the Darth Vader-like figure who came to my aid. This turned out to be Daz, but when I first saw him he still had his helmet on and it looked like a bit of a Star Wars moment. I have nothing but praise for him and the crew and the way they helped me.”

He was flown to Southern General Hospital in Glasgow for treatment and almost a year after the accident he and his walking colleague returned to the crew’s base at Prestwick to personally thank Daz and his fellow rescuers – and brought with him a bottle of malt whisky as a gift.

Chief Petty Officer Craig said: “It was really kind of Sandy to think of us in this way and it has been a pleasure to see him and David again. For us it is all about doing our job and we feel humbled when we receive thanks from people who have been through such trauma.”