Rescuers at the scene where the injured man and his companions took shelter near the Cantilever Stone. Photo: OVMRO

A walker was rescued after slipping and dislocating his shoulder on a Snowdonia mountain.

The man was walking on Glyder Fach with two colleagues yesterday, Saturday, when he slipped on a large slab while descending from the Cantilever Stone on the mountain.

He suffered the dislocation when he put out his arm to arrest his fall.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation was called out at 10am. Low cloud prevented an RAF Sea King helicopter reaching the site, but it was used to airlift rescue team members up the mountain to the cloud base.

Chris Lloyd of the OVMRO said: “The cloud level was about 2,500ft [760m] so the yellow taxi service could only drop MRT members at Llyn Caseg Ffraith above the back wall of Cwm Tryfan.

“Three parties of Ogwen members were flown up. Also a number of RAF Valley MRT who were training in the area had an uplift too.

“The casualty and his two male colleagues, all in their early 50’s, sheltered in the boulders beneath the Cantilever Stone. The local men, all well equipped for a day’s walking over the Glyders, awaited assistance as the weather deteriorated from cloud to hail showers.”

The first advanced party of three arrived and placed the casualty in a shelter and gave him pain relief. The following parties had with them an orthopaedic surgeon, an OVMRO member. Mr Lloyd said: “He tried to reduce the injury but without success.

“With a bit more analgesic and some support for his arm, the casualty very bravely walked off the mountain down into Cwm Tryfan. This great effort was much appreciated by all the MRT members.

“However, progress could now be quickened with the casualty on the stretcher. The casualty was stretchered down to the lip of Cwm Tryfan to where we could see the yellow taxi at Oggie Base through the drizzle.”

Mr Lloyd said the Sea King was able to fly up to the stretcher team and airlift the injured walker to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

He said: “While the casualty was being treated in the emergency department of the hospital at Bangor, his two colleagues enjoyed slices of hot pizza and mugs of hot tea along with 20 Ogwen troops and 12 RAF Valley MRT at Oggie Base.”

It was, he said, an unfortunate accident.