Stan spoke to the injured man. “We can give you a painkiller to help. We want to tie you to Andy’s back and then both of you will be hauled up. Do you understand?”
The man said, “My left shoulder is dislocated. Only use my right arm.”
Andy said, “We are going to move you sideways on so that we can tie you to me and then untie the team rope from you and loop it through a piton. Then we won’t lose your friends.” The man nodded. Andy said to Stan, “This way will be quicker than tying him to a piton first.” Stan nodded, walked himself up the cliff-face a few feet and then swung himself over and down to turn the man onto his side. Andy moved so that he could help Stan. Each with one hand holding to the rock-face, they used the other to turn the man sideways on. Andy swung round so that he had his back to the man and was a little lower. The man put his good arm over Andy’s shoulder and Stan, leaning out from his piton, was able to take the spare rope and tie the man to Andy while Andy held the man’s hand. When they were ready, Stan swung over and loosened the team rope from the man and looped it through the piton and tied it. He and Andy nodded to each other and Andy tugged on the rope three times. Soon he and the man were being slowly hauled up. Eventually they reached the cliff-top and hands helped them both over and onto firm ground. The man was unfastened from Andy and lifted onto a sleeping bag that had been rolled out. He grimaced in pain as there was weight on his left leg.
“His left shoulder is dislocated,” said Andy.
“He may have a broken leg also” said Joe Morris as he and his team-mate took the man’s rucksack off his back and started the first aid. They used the rucksack as a back support for the patient as they applied a sling to support his dislocated shoulder. Bradley and his team-mate lowered the rope down to Stan and, when they felt his three tugs, started pulling up to the top. He appeared over the rim and grinned his relief.
“First one up,” he said, “maybe three more to go.” Back up with the team, Stan sat down next to Andy and, with his back to his rucksack, tried to relax for a few minutes.
“Well done, both of you,” said Bradley. They both nodded their thanks to him. Bradley looked at his watch and noted that the time was 12:20 hrs.
Bradley’s team-mate had switched to brewing tea and the first mug ready was offered to the injured man. He nodded his thanks and took it with his good hand. “Do you feel like speaking?” asked Bradley. He recognised the person as the Russian he had seen two years previously but avoided any sign of recognition. “Who are you and which group are you with? We need to notify people who we have found,” said Bradley. “We are with the Mancunian Mountaineering Club. I’m Major Garasov from the Russian Consulate.”
“Thank you very much, Major. We will radio the information to base at Loch Morlich. We are part of the RAF team camping there and base will let the appropriate people know. I’ll let you rest now as we try to help your team-mates,” said Flight Sergeant Bradley. He turned away and said to his team-mate, “Get base on the radio and let them know who we have found. You heard the conversation.” He got a nod and his team-mate turned to the task. Then Bradley went over to Stan and Andy. “How are you both feeling? If we leave the others down there, they may freeze to death. Do you feel up to going down again? I’d rather send you down as you both know the situation. Otherwise I’ll send Joe Morris and Harry down but you two are more experienced than they are.”
“You make it hard to say no, Flight,” said Andy.
“I know,” was the reply, “but this is an emergency.” Andy and Stan looked at each other and then both nodded to Flight Sergeant Bradley.
“We’ll give it a go,” said Stan.
Five minutes later, the injured Major Garasov, wrapped in a sleeping bag and resting, watched the two men preparing to go down again. He had recognised Corporal Hill as the man he wanted dead but this man and his team-mate had just saved his life at the risk of their own. He closed his eyes and rested back against his rucksack as he tried to cope with the pain and now an emotional struggle.
This time, Andy would go down first and took Garasov’s spare rope with him. He would go down to check the next man and then come up to report. The other team members manned the rope as Andy lowered himself over the edge and abseiled down in short leaps. He came to the small bulge and stopped to check the rope holding the rest of the fallen men. It was secure so he lowered himself down to the next man hanging limply against the cliff-face. Andy gave one tug on the rope to let them know on top that he had reached the next man. He then swung himself alongside the limp body. “Hallo! Can you hear me?” he called. No response. Andy saw the dried blood down one side of the face where his head must have hit the rock-face pretty hard, so he moved close
