Cairngorms climber rescued after 250m fall

A CLIMBER has been airlifted to hospital after falling over a cliff and sliding around 820ft (250m) down a mountain in the Cairngorms.

Coire Sputan Dearg. Picture: Nick Bramhall (cc) [http://www.flickr.com/photos/black_friction/]

A large-scale rescue operation was launched after police received a report that a man had fallen over a cliff edge in the area of Coire Sputan Dearg in the Southern Cairngorms at around 3.30pm yesterday.

They found a 25-year-old man injured at around 6.30pm, walking with two other people.

He is thought to have slid around 820ft (250m).

Police Scotland said the casualty was evacuated by stretcher in “challenging conditions”, then airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by a Royal Air Force rescue helicopter.

The group were from England and had planned to spend a couple of days in the mountains.

The rescue operation involved Braemar, Police Scotland and Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Teams.