Hiker is saved by SOS to US
RESCUERS carried a badly injured hill walker to safety for nearly four miles in "appalling" weather conditions in the Cairngorms.
Willie Anderson, leader of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, said there was "not a chance" the man would have survived the night if he had not been found.
The wind chill had taken overnight temperatures down to a perishing -25C.
The 44-year-old hiker from Surrey had been in the strath for a weekend of winter hillwalking when he fell on Ben Macdui – the UK's second highest mountain.
The accident on Sunday sparked an eight-hour rescue in the worst weather of the winter so far.
Cairngorm MRT members had just finished training when they received the call out at around 3pm.
Mr Anderson said: "The man, who was of Spanish or Portuguese origin, had a personal locator beacon.
"The gadget sent a message by satellite to the United States. Staff there then informed our emergency services that he was in trouble."
The casualty had fallen at March Burn about 1000 metres (3281ft) up on the plateau near to Ben Macdui. He had suffered spinal and leg injuries and told his rescuers that he was freezing.
Mr Anderson said: "It was tough, but the teams were great – they saved a man's life.
"He would not have survived the night, no chance."
