In the news

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday 3rd July, call-handlers from Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team were made aware of a collapsed walker on Aran Benllyn, south of Llanuwchllyn.

The walker was part of a well-equipped and experienced mountaineering club group walking the Aran Ridge from Llanuwchllyn to Dolgellau. He collapsed suddenly, and resuscitation attempts by other group members started immediately.

Due to the remote location and potential severity of the incident, the assistance of Coastguard helicopter Rescue936 was requested, and although being first in the area, the helicopter was unable to reach the casualty site due to low cloud cover.

As Rescue Team members started arriving at the foot of the hill,  the winchman-paramedic was dropped below the cloud-base to make his way to the casualty on foot.

Returning to the foot of the mountain, R936 collected a hill-party of Team volunteers, along with a stretcher and further medical supplies, and flew them up to the cloud-base to quickly join the rescue attempt.

Despite immediate, prolonged and high-quality CPR performed by group members, and further interventions once the paramedic was on scene, the man remained unresponsive throughout and was declared deceased at the scene.

Team volunteers placed the casualty on a stretcher and moved down the mountainside to a suitable landing site below the cloud-base where R936 returned once again to fly the hill party and casualty off the hill. The casualty was handed over to the care of North Wales Police.
Everyone was back at vehicles by 1:45 p.m.