The man fell with his dog on the west face of Tryfan. Photo: Terry Hughes CC-BY-SA-2.0

Two team members needed medical treatment after a being bitten in a rescue involving a man and dog who fell on a Snowdonia scrambling route.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation was called out on Sunday when the man and animal suffered serious injuries in a fall on Tryfan.

The team was alerted after cries for help were heard from the west face of the mountain.

Team members were completing a training session at their base when police contacted them.

Chris Lloyd of the Ogwen Valley team said: “Two team members went to meet the informant and tried to locate the source. By then, the shouts had stopped. However, the second call was received reporting a seriously injured walker and injured dog in a gully on the west face of Tryfan.

“A couple from Liverpool had scrambled up the North Ridge of Tryfan with their jack russell dog. The dog was struggling on the multiple rock steps so the couple retreated, carrying the dog. They probably lost the usual path and wandered too close to the West Face.

“The man took a 50m or more tumbling fall with the dog which was on a leash. Both man and dog were seriously injured.

“The woman was able to scramble down to the casualties then shouted for help. These shouts were heard by people descending to the car park in the floor of the valley and they made the initial call. The shouts were also heard by a small party under instruction on the mountain.

“The instructors made their way to the casualties to give assistance. They made the second telephone call and were able to report details of location and injuries.”

Mr Lloyd said the team sent up a hasty party, followed by a stretcher party. “With reports of the serious injuries, helicopter assistance was requested too,” he said. “Members of the training party descended to the road with the wife and with the dog. Both were brought to the sanctuary of Oggi Base, just five minutes’ drive along the road.

“The dog, in pain and shock, inflicted nasty bites to the hand of his rescuer then continued to bite the top of the finger of the receiving team member. Both these injuries required medical treatment.”

The man, who was still conscious, was treated for multiple injuries before being placed in a stretcher and winched from the mountain by the Caernarfon Coastguard rescue helicopter. He was flown to hospital in Bangor where he was treated for broken bones and internal injuries.

Mr Lloyd said: “OVMRO thank the instructors from the National Mountaineering Centre at Plas y Brenin and a passing member of North East Wales Search and Rescue for their valuable assistance in this rescue.”

The team had been in action the previous day when a woman injured herself on Tryfan Bach.

Members were at their base for a training session when a man walked in to say his wife had injured her ankle on the crags of the hill.

Mr Lloyd said: “The man’s wife was lying at the foot of the slabs with a painful ankle injury.

“This had occurred as she misplaced her footing on the rough ground at the base of the slabs. She was treated with analgesics and splinting, then stretchered to the ambulance waiting at the roadhead.” It was, he said, ‘an unfortunate start to the couple’s weekend’.