During the walk to Pontsticill yesterday a real life drama was unfolding a few miles further north on Pen-Y-Fan.
As heavy snow swept across South Wales, members of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team were called at 11:45 to a light aircraft crash on Bwlch Duwynt near the summit of Corn Du. A helicopter from RAF Chivenor, Devon, was called to the scene but the team were not initially needed after the pilot, a businessman from Bridgend, managed to free himself. But shortly afterwards they were called to airlift a 70-year-old man with a leg injury and hypothermia, and a mountain rescuer with a head wound.
Huw Jones, of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue team, said it took about five hours to reach and rescue the walker at about 18:30. During the operation a rescuer slipped and suffered a head injury.
The helicopter landed on the closed road between Storey Arms and Merthyr to brief the crew. Rescuers praised "an incredible bit of flying" by the helicopter to reach the casualties in conditions they described as "more like Alaska than south Wales".
"In all my years in mountain rescue, I struggle to say when I remember seeing a helicopter crew flying in those conditions," said Mr Jones.
The heavy snow forced the crew to abort attempts to land at the nearest hospital, Prince Charles in Merthyr, and then at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and the Royal Glamorgan in Llantrisant, before finally managing it at Morriston.
The 70-year-old man was treated for a broken leg and the mountain rescuer was sent home with concussion.
Mr Jones said the weather forecast for coming days brought higher risks for walkers, and said they should take crampons and an ice axe.
The Earl of Twynyrodyn sends his apologies for missing this walk as he was preparing a Delia Smith for his good lady.
ReplyDeleteThe Countess should always take first preference, but if you and Butterballs had been with me we would all have been in the Red Cow until late afternoon. It really was one of those occasions when you just wanted to sit tight, especially watching the snow falling outside through the window!!
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