A seriously injured walker endured a terrifying four-hour ordeal after he plunged 40 feet down a remote Perthshire ravine during a deer-stalking outing.
The man, described as being in his 50s, was eventually airlifted to hospital where he was treated for lower leg and spinal injuries.
With temperatures plummeting to zero and below, he lay in agony at the bottom of the gully at Meggernie Estate, Glen Lyon, as rescue teams desperately tried to reach him.
The Courier understands the man had been in a group of four people out deer stalking when the accident occurred, at around 12.45pm.
His companions quickly raised the alarm and Tayside Police’s mountain rescue team rushed to assist.
They were joined at the scene by a paramedic and a civilian mountain rescue crew.
The accident site was described as “extremely remote” and local firm Highland Safaris lent the rescue crews a number of 4×4 vehicles as they attempted to reach the stricken victim.
He was airlifted to hospital in Fort William for treatment.
His condition is not thought to be life threatening.Help from publicDS Colin MacDougall, team leader with the Tayside Police search and rescue unit, said, “The man had taken a tumble amid very difficult terrain.
“He had fallen 40 feet down very steep, rocky ground and our priority was to get him off the hill as quickly as we could.”
He added, “He was actually not far away from a track but it was a very remote spot.”
Mr MacDougall said civilian assistance had proved vital.
He said, “The provision of 4×4 vehicles was extremely helpful.
“We are quite geared up for this kind of situation and local people worked very well alongside the police team.”
Mr MacDougall added that the man appeared to have fallen down the ravine “through absolutely no fault of his own.”
“This kind of situation does crop up from time to time,” he said.
“I would ask that people who are preparing to go out in such remote, hilly areas check out the Tayside Mountain Rescue website, where there is a range of health and safety information.”
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user jmayer1129.