climber survives HUGE fall

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taken from beeb news,

 

Climber found reading map after 1,000ft fall

A climber who fell 1,000ft (305m) down a mountain and survived was found by his rescuers standing up reading a map.

 

The 35-year-old lost his footing at the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor near Ben Nevis in the Highlands and plummeted down the near-vertical eastern slope.

 

Rescuer Lt Tim Barker said: "It seemed impossible... he must have literally glanced off the outcrops as he fell."

 

Paramedics said the climber was shaking from "extreme emotional shock" and the sheer relief at still being alive.

 

Lt Barker, the Royal Navy's Sea King helicopter crew's observer, said: "We began to hover-taxi down the slope and spotted a man at the bottom, standing up.

 

"We honestly thought it couldn't have been him, as he was on his feet, reading a map. Above him was a series of three high craggy outcrops.

 

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He is lucky to be alive. It's hard to believe that someone could have fallen that distance on that terrain and been able to stand up”

 

Lt Tim Barker

Royal Navy rescuer

"It seemed impossible. So we retraced our path back up the mountain and, sure enough, there were bits of his kit in a vertical line all the way up where he had obviously lost them during the fall.

 

'Almost flying'

"It was quite incredible. He must have literally glanced off the outcrops as he fell, almost flying."

 

The helicopter, from HMS Gannet in Prestwick, Ayrshire, was already airborne on a training expercise when it was scrambled to the scene just after 1430 GMT.

 

A paramedic was winched down to check the climber over. He appeared unscathed aside from some superficial cuts and bruises and a minor chest injury.

 

Lt Barker added: "He is lucky to be alive. It's hard to believe that someone could have fallen that distance on that terrain and been able to stand up at the end of it, let alone chat to us in the helicopter on the way to the hospital.

 

"Really an amazing result - I have to say, when we got the call and realised the details of where he'd fallen, we did expect to arrive on scene to find the worst-case scenario."

 

The climber, from Glasgow, was one of a group of 24 who had reached the summit when the accident happened.

 

He is being treated at Southern General Hospital in the city.

 

 

BBC News - Climber found reading map after 1,000ft fall

[tommer9]

That is phenomenal!!

[skyhuck]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Falling is all about how you land, I know lads who have fallen 70' landing on the woodland floor and walked away.

 

But last week I was talking to a guy in a wheelchair who had fallen 12' (a roofer taking down a dead tree for a mate for the fire wood) his feet slipped off the branch and he landed on his side, on uneven ground and broke his back.

 

He said 4 other guys at the rehabilitation center had similar injury's from tree work.

[grumpydavesmith]

amazing!!! i had a friend who fell 3 foot banged his head n died instantly.