A team member waits to be airlifted to the incident site. Photo: Aberdyfi SRT

A walker has died after collapsing on a Snowdonia mountain.

Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team was called out to the incident shortly before 10am on Saturday.

The man was part of a well equipped and experienced mountaineering group walking on the Aran Ridge between Llanuwchllyn and Dolgellau when he collapsed suddenly on Aran Benllyn.

His companions began resuscitation attempts immediately.

An Aberdyfi team spokesperson said: “Due to the remote location and potential severity of the incident, the assistance of Coastguard helicopter Rescue 936 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 cloudbase 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 cloudbase 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 members placed the walker on a stretcher and moved down the mountainside to a suitable landing site below the cloudbase to which the Caernarfon-based helicopter returned to fly the hill party and walker off the hill.

The man’s body was then handed over to the care of North Wales Police.

The incident ended at 1.45pm.