Three people were killed and six others trapped after an avalanche on a Glencoe mountain.
By Stephen Daisley
Three people were killed and six others trapped after an avalanche on a Glencoe mountain.
A major air operation was launched to rescue two parties stranded on Buchaille Etive Mhor, south of Fort William, early on Saturday afternoon.
Four people were airlifted to hospital, where three later died. The fourth sustained a shoulder injury.
Police confirmed the remaining five people caught up in the avalanche were unhurt.
Rescue helicopters - including an RAF chopper from Lossiemouth and a Navy helicopter from Prestwick - were dispatched to the scene. They were joined in their search by members of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team.
Search dogs were later deployed when severe weather conditions grounded the helicopters.
The emergency services responded to a call from a climber in the area, placed at around noon, reporting an avalanche on the Coire Na Tulaich section of the 3,352ft mountain.
Two people were airlifted by RAF rescue helicopter and flown to Fort William's Belford Hospital.
One was pronounced dead at the hospital and a second died some time later.
The body of a third person, concealed beneath the snow, was not discovered until later.
A climber who suffered a shoulder injury was taken to the same Fort William hospital for treatment.
The other five climbers, who sustained no injuries, have now been removed from the mountain.
Inspector Pamela Ross, of Northern Constabulary, said the three dead had been walking as part of a group of seven on Buchaille Etive Mhor.
She said: "We are making inquiries as to who these people are, where they are from and how they came to be walking in Glencoe today."
Inspector Ross said officers were attempting to contact the next of kin of those killed.
She explained that the Glencoe mountain range was popular at all times of the year and there was nothing to suggest Buchaille Etive Mhor was particularly dangerous.
The Sport Scotland website had rated the risk of avalanche in Glencoe today as "considerable", ranking the probability as category three on a scale of one to five.
David Campbell, manager at Glencoe Ski Centre, said his staff had helped with the search effort.
One of his employees is a member of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, while another, who was skiing in the area, also joined in the rescue operation.
Mr Campbell described the avalanche as a "really major incident".
He warned that Buchaille Etive Mhor was not an area where inexperienced climbers should venture.
"It's a well known area for climbers, but it's not an area for inexperienced climbers," Mr Campbell said.
David Gibson, chief officer of The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, explained that the avalanche information service had been in operation for several years during winter months.
"It's important that skiers, climbers and hill walkers - if they are going out - check the avalanche information service," he cautioned.
Community safety minister Fergus Ewing - a former member of the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team - said: "My thoughts are with the families and friends of everyone affected by this tragedy.
"The rescue and emergency services clearly did everything they possibly could, and I pay tribute to the brave efforts of all those involved, including Northern Constabulary, the RAF, and mountain rescue team members.
"It is deeply sad that it was not enough to save the three climbers whose lives were lost, and I express my condolences to their loved ones."
