Lost snowboarder survives by hugging dog
18 March 2019, 11:11
A snowboarder lost in a blizzard survived by cuddling his dog for warmth as they waited to be rescued.
The man dialled 999 after becoming disorientated in bad weather around 3,500ft (1,067m) up on Cairngorm in the Highlands at 5.45pm on Saturday evening.
Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) went to the scene and found him huddling in a bivvy bag with his dog when they reached him at around 8pm.
They walked the man and his pet back down the mountain to safety, with neither needing medical treatment.
Willie Anderson, CMRT team leader, said: "The man was well equipped but the weather was poor and he was a bit overwhelmed.
"It was really bad weather but we got to him. He was very cold, probably in the early stages of hypothermia.
"The dog helped keep him warm, the dog was absolutely fine.
"It was good that we got to him because he would have been in very poor condition by morning, there was a wind child of around minus 20C and it was a blizzard."
The man, who was from the Edinburgh area, was said to be well equipped and had checked information about avalanche risks.
Last week a dog was rescued after spending 48 hours lost in the Cairngorms.
The Inverness Coastguard helicopter spotted Ben on a narrow ledge with a 200ft (61m) drop below and winched him to safety.
The helicopter crew spotted the dog by chance while they were out on a training exercise in the area on Wednesday.
