Winchman Taff Ashman is lowered to two of the walkers

Three walkers were winched from a Highland peak with minutes to spare before bad weather grounded the rescue helicopter.

Freezing rain meant the crew of the Royal Navy was unable to return to its base after plucking the trio from Buachaille Etive Mòr in Glencoe.

The rescue involved the Sea King pilot holding the hovering aircraft just 6ft (2m) from the rockface where the men were stuck.

The four-person crew from HMS Gannet in Ayrshire was scrambled about 6.15pm yesterday, ten minutes or so after the walkers called police at Fort William for help.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “With a wintry forecast stalking Scotland last night, there had already been operational weather safety restrictions put on the duty helicopter.

“For, with that forecast, there was a promise of prolonged freezing rain – conditions in which the helicopter simply cannot fly.

“Freezing rain can rapidly collect on the helicopter’s airframe forming ice build-ups, creating excess weight and drag. This, in turn, impairs the aircraft’s ability to manoeuvre correctly and, therefore, compromises its overall performance and safety.

“The three walkers, however, oblivious to this possible restriction, were disorientated in sub-zero, snowy conditions on the 3,353ft [1,022m] peak. All were experienced and well equipped, as well as familiar with the peak.

“But they had taken an incorrect turn on the route and become lost.”

Buachaille Etive Mòr. Photo: Johnny Durnan CC-BY-SA.2.0

Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team was also alerted and the helicopter left its base shortly before 5.30pm, with only 90 minutes before it would have to land.

Duty observer and navigator Lieutenant Angela Lewis said: “We are used to flying in pretty much all conditions possible.

“But there are one or two types of weather which we just simply cannot operate in – and freezing rain is one of these.

“Our forecasters were aware of a prolonged threat of freezing rain last night and, as a routine course of action, we had determined a time past which it would no longer be safe to get airborne.

“Obviously our three climbers couldn’t have known what a close shave they really had.

“We were coming up to the no-fly window and we also knew that once we got in to Glencoe, we would be unable to get back out – our window would have closed.

“It was pretty much a case of you’ve got one chance to have a go at this, we’d better get it right first time.

“Fortunately the group had torches with them which they were able to shine for us as soon as they heard the helicopter’s rotors approaching. We were guided straight in to them.”

The Royal Navy Sea King had to land at King's House after winching the three from the mountain

A difficult rescue followed, as the ledge two of the walkers were on was tightly tucked into the mountain’s face which meant the pilots putting the 9½-tonne aircraft into a hover close to the rock, with the third person on another ledge about 25ft (8m) above.

Winchman Petty Officer Taff Ashman, a trained paramedic, then made three tricky descents to pick up each member of the group. The pilots had managed to bring the helicopter in close and low and PO Ashman winched on about 80ft of wire to pluck the walkers to safety.

Although cold, none of the trio needed medical treatment.

Lt Lewis said: “At about 6.30pm, we put the three walkers into the care of the police at our landing site at King’s House in Glencoe.

“But we knew that there was no chance of us being able to return to base – we just weren’t allowed to get airborne.

“So we were left grounded over night at the hotel.

“It’s very rare for this to happen, but it isn’t unknown and King’s House is one of our official landing sites in the Glencoe area.

“We made the decision to respond to this call in the full knowledge that we wouldn’t be able to get back to base, but also in the knowledge that there were three people on that mountain who required urgent attention.

“If we hadn’t been able to get to them, then, of course, the mountain rescue team would have set out to search for them on foot.

“But, in those freezing conditions, time is not on the side of the person stranded up a mountain in the pitch dark.

“I’m glad we were able to bring them down to safety.”

The helicopter returned to its Ayrshire base today after, once more, waiting for a suitable weather window to get the aircraft out of Glencoe, 22 hours after setting out.

Pilots on the helicopter were Lieutenant Commander Craig Sweeney and Lieutenant Jon Wade.