Climber in Nevis plunge

An RAF helicopter was sent to the scene

A climber has had a lucky escape after falling more than 70 metres down Scotland's highest mountain.

John Hunston, 44, from Carlisle, was nearing the summit of Ben Nevis with a companion when one of his ice screws gave way.

Mr Hunston fell down the mountainside and was only saved by a rope which was attached to an ice screw he had used during an earlier part of the climb.

As he was left dangling more than 1,000ft up the north face of the mountain, his companion Ian Armstrong, 32, also of Carlisle, used his mobile phone to alert the police.

The accident happened on Ben Nevis

Members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and a helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth were scrambled at about 1700 GMT on Saturday.

However, due to bad weather the helicopter could not make it to where the men were.

The mountain rescue team took almost 12 hours to rescue the climbers because of the conditions.

Mr Hunston was stretchered to the foot of the mountain in the early hours of Sunday morning and then taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William, where his condition was described as "satisfactory".

Roger Wild of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said it was a "protracted" operation and that Mr Hunston had been very lucky.

'Very lucky'

"One of the problems was actually finding the climbers to get down to them, so there was a lot of whistle-blowing and shouting before we could locate them," he said.

"Both men were well-equipped and the climb was well within their capabilities, but the accident could have happened to anybody.

"One of Mr Hunston's ice screws came out and as a result he fell back down to the last ice screw he had put into the face of the mountain.

"They were both very lucky, but the system they were using was very safe and that helped to make the rescue successful."

Mr Wild said Mr Hunston was carried by stretcher to a hut on the mountain where members of the Scottish Mountaineering Club were staying and they helped to take him safely to the foot of the mountain.