“We could do that provided we stay in radio contact and you talk us in. When it sounds as though we are directly overhead, light the flare and we will do a slow descent until you can see us. We will try to come down to about ten feet above the ground if we have enough visibility. Over.”
“Understood, Flight. You sound to be roughly due north of us now and moving westerly. Over.”
“Adjusting now, sir. Moving east-south-east. Over.”
“You’re coming closer, Flight. Keep coming as you are. The sound is getting stronger.” The chopper steadily came closer over the next minute. While this was happening, team members got a flare out of a rucksack and prepared it for use. “You sound pretty close now, Flight, a little east of us. Over.”
“In twenty seconds, light your flare, sir. We now have visibility for about sixty feet and are slowly descending. Over.”
A count to twenty and then, “Flare lit, Flight. We see you. You are about fifty feet above us and a little south-east. Over.”
“We see the flare and are adjusting our descent. Over.” The helicopter came steadily down to about ten feet above the ground. A figure at the open door gave them a wave and the helicopter came lower and then remained stationary and hovered. Three Mountain Rescue men were lowered to the ground with their equipment. Then a hoist was quickly slid out of the open door and a stretcher lowered to the ground. Major Garasov was lifted and taken over and put on the stretcher. He was hauled up into the helicopter. Soon the stretcher was lowered again and the very sick man was put on it and the process repeated, followed by the man with the broken ankle. “I’ve got room for four more passengers,” the crewman called out.
Flying Officer Crombie called out, “Stanier, Hill, Morris and you, Flight. The other two can stay with me. You take control at base, Flight, and keep in touch with what happens down there (giving him a knowing look). I’ll stay and look after things here.” Bradley and the three corporals immediately ran forward and were winched into the helicopter.
“We may have time for another flight before dark, sir, and could take more of you out,” called out the Flight Sergeant.
“Fine. See how you go, Flight.” A wave and the helicopter rose into the air and headed north towards Glenmore Lodge where a doctor and assistants were standing by. It would take them only a few minutes to get there.
Back along the track, a rescue team had received a message that they could turn back as they were no longer needed at the site. With the three Mountain Rescue airmen now on the ground and able to help, Flying Officer Crombie explained that a dead person was still hanging on the cliff-face and needed bringing up. The men were briefed on the situation and they went to work. They prepared a length of rope, hammered a piton into the rock and tied the rope onto it. They each connected themselves to a rope, one of them put a body-bag over his shoulder, and they both lowered themselves over the edge and abseiled down. Reaching the dead man, the two men signalled by one pull on the rope and the length made firm so that they could work with two hands. They worked quickly and soon the dead man was in the body-bag. One of them climbed up to the piton which held the dead man’s rope in place, unfastened it and tied it to his own rope while the man below held and steadied the body-bag. They both gave their ropes three tugs and were steadily hauled to the cliff-top. It had taken less than thirty minutes. As they were nearing the cliff-top they all heard the approaching helicopter and a repeat performance of bringing it in was carried out. The body-bag was loaded first and then Flying Officer Crombie and his team were boarded. The three Mountain Rescue airmen were to walk to Carn na Criche summit while the helicopter made a return trip. It would pick them up there and then fly down to Glenmore Lodge for the night. Twenty minutes later the three airmen were picked up in the fading daylight and transported to Glenmore Lodge. Ambulances had taken the injured men to the small hospital in Aviemore and the dead man was picked up during the evening and taken to the town morgue after he had been identified by the leader of the Mancunian Mountaineering Club. The police said that they would take statements in the morning.
At base camp, a meal was prepared for everybody and tents erected ready for an early night for those that needed it. The mountaineering exercise was over and a full de-briefing would have to take place in the morning and a report prepared. While this was going on, a radio message came in to say that they should expect a visitor in the morning.
***
The members of the RAF team were up at 06:00 hours and carrying out the chores by pressure lamps. Breakfast was at 07:00 hours and those rostered to cook had been busy. Others had come in early to help and just socialise a little in the process. The helicopter crew received orders to fly to RAF Kinloss to re-fuel and pick up a passenger and return to Glenmore Lodge. Weather permitting, they were then to fly the local police up to site of the accident and rescue. Flying Officer Crombie said that the visitor was the ‘Chief’, AVM Denby. They were to remain in their mountaineering gear and not change into uniforms but they were all to be clean-shaven and looking neat and tidy. There were mutters about
