Snowdon is in full winter condition, rescuers warned. Photo: John S Turner CC-BY-SA-2.0

A walker was rescued after falling more than 1,300ft from Wales’s highest mountain.

The 21-year-old from Leicester was airlifted in a hypothermic state from Snowdon after injuring his head, arms and legs in the 400m fall from the top of the Watkin Path today.

Another walker suffered serious head injuries when he fell 200m (650ft) from the mountain later in the day.

And a group of walkers had to be rescued after taking the wrong route off the 1,085m (ft) peak and getting lost.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team members were on Snowdon almost six hours dealing with the three incidents.

Phil Benbow of the team, who was co-ordinator for the three rescues, said the Leicester man was properly equipped, but accidents can happen even to well prepared walkers and mountaineers.

He said: “Winter conditions prevail on the mountain and even properly equipped mountaineers can slip and unless the slide is arrested quickly a fall of considerable distance can result.”

The walker slipped on hard snow at the top of the Watkin path while he was coming down from the summit with friends. He fell into Cwm Tregalen and became hypothermic while waiting to be rescued.

The team was alerted about 12.25pm and 18 members took part in the rescue. He was treated at the scene and flown by a Sea King helicopter from RAF Valley to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor for further treatment.

Mr Benbow said it was windy and cloudy on the mountain, with hard packed snow underfoot.

A 39-year-old man from Belfast suffered serious head injuries in a fall shortly before 3pm.

Rescuers said the man, who did not have crampons or ice-axe, fell from the Pyg Track to the Miners Track, 200m below.

Four team members treated him at the scene and he was airlifted to hospital in Bangor by the RAF Valley Sea King crew.

Shortly before the Pyg Track incident, the Llanberis team was again called to help eight walkers from Cheshire who had climbed the mountain without winter equipment.

The six men and two women, in their mid-20s, used the Pyg Track to walk to the summit of the mountain and then decided to follow the line of the Llanberis Path for their descent about 1pm.

Mr Benbow said: “However, they mistook their route and attempted to descend the Snowdon Ranger Path. They called for help at 2.47pm.

“They were assisted by three local mountaineers who were nearby and properly equipped and were able to secure the party and prevent them getting into further difficulties.”

Eight Llanberis MRT members then helped the walkers off the mountain to safety.

Mr Benbow added: “They were lucky that the three well equipped mountaineers came across them and were able to help them initially.