A hillwalker is recovering at home in Dundee after a night in the open in the Angus glens.
Rescue teams were aided by Mr Fewster’s route card, which had been left at the ranger station. Mr Whitford said, “One advantage was that we knew roughly where he was going. It’s a very commonly walked hill, but very narrow and spindly.
“It’s almost a three-pronged attack. The way we work is to use a helicopter to lift teams up to different locations. They then start searching the officers are spread out across quite a wide area, moving forward together in case the chap has stumbled, fallen and is lying somewhere.
“They also focused in on the obvious locations, like around the summit points. Meanwhile the helicopter used powerful infra-red and lights to see if they could spot him.”
Mr Fewster’s rescue came five days after well-known Dundee climber Douglas Lang (69) died after being caught in an avalanche in the same area. Mr Whitford said it was fortunate the weather was warmer on Wednesday night.
Former banker Leo Fewster (68) became disorientated on the Kilbo Path between Driesh and Mayar, the two Munros that dominate Glen Doll, on Wednesday.
The experienced mountain man had gone walking on his own. When he was reported overdue at 9pm an all-night search and rescue operation was started. Mr Fewster made his way downhill but lost his backpack and fleece and took refuge in the forest below the path.
He was found there at about 4.15am on Thursday. He was treated for suspected hypothermia in Ninewells Hospital before being allowed home.
Mr Fewster bashed his shin during his ordeal but on Thursday night after a shower, a change of clothes and a mug of tea at his Clepington Road home he said he was feeling better.
He was sorry for any trouble he had caused, and vowed to find out the identity of his rescuers so he could reward them.
“I have climbed and walked a lot in the mountains of Europe, and when rescuers are called out there the rescued person gives them bottles of wine as a custom to say thank you. That’s what I’m going to do to the people who came for me.”
Mr Fewster, who moved to Dundee over 10 years ago after a career in London, said his many years of experience in the hills meant he did not panic.
“I tried to get myself back down the hill but then I found myself in the wood and the light went, so I realised it was safer to stay there until the morning. I did that and I was found.”
He was released from hospital with the advice to contact his own GP for further medical checks, and that was what he said he would do. Tayside Police’s search and rescue team, Tayside Mountain Rescue and a helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth conducted the search.
Chief Inspector Mike Whitford said Mr Fewster was showing classic signs of hypothermia when found.
“He was a bit confused, which is a common symptom,” he said. “He was found in a forestry area suffering from the cold. They got him stabilised and warmed up and walked him out to a Land-Rover and he was initially treated at the ranger station.
“He was well-equipped and it appears he hunkered down in the woods to get shelter.”