Rescuers treat the injured man. Photo: OVMRO
A man was airlifted from a Snowdonia mountain after injuring himself in a fall.
The young man was with a friend on Tryfan on Thursday when they both fell some distance.
North Wales Police received a call from saying one had suffered minor injuries but his companion had a serious head injury but was conscious.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation was alerted shortly before 4pm. The team leader immediately requested the help of the Coastguard’s Caernarfon helicopter and also called out team members.
Chris Lloyd of Ogwen Valley MRO said: “Being able to track the location of the informant’s telephone, the casualty was identified as being on the North Ridge of Tryfan at the notorious accident black spot of Waterfall Gully, the start of the marked footpath on the OS maps, just east of the Milestone Buttress.
“The crew of the helicopter winched the winchman down to near the casualty. The very calm conditions complicated the ability of the aircraft to fly, as they prefer some wind to assist with uplift.
“Upon reaching the casualty, the winchman requested mountain rescue troops to assist with relocating the casualty to a more suitable location for winching. Team members were deployed from Oggi Base just one mile away and were quickly on scene with the team doctor and rescue equipment.
The injured man was packaged into a stretcher. Photo: OVMRO
“The casualty’s friend, having been assessed and treated, was able to walk from the scene with a team member and to collect his car and drive to the sanctuary of Oggi Base. Meanwhile, the casualty was treated for head injuries and suspected lower limb injuries before being loaded onto the stretcher.”
At the same time, team members set up a twin-rope system so the injured man could be lowered 50m down the rocky mountainside and away from the steep rock face.
About 2½ hours after the initial call, the injured walker, winchman and team doctor were winched aboard the helicopter and flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.
Mr Lloyd said: “The dozen team members then packed up the rescue equipment and made their way off the mountain and arriving at Oggi Base for supper shortly after 7pm.”
He added the man’s head injuries were not as serious as originally thought and he was discharged from hospital later that evening.
