Snowdon avalanche: climber airlifted to safety after suffering broken leg during snowslide

Ella Wills30 January 2019

Dramatic footage has shown the moment an injured man was rescued after falling down a gully during an avalanche on Wales's highest mountain.

The man was rescued from Mount Snowdon in North Wales after suffering a broken leg on Tuesday afternoon.

He was among a team of climbers who became caught in the mountain's Right Hand Trinity gully after fresh snow which had settled on the mountain fell on them.

They were rescued by volunteers from Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team with help from an RAF rescue team and the coastguard following the snowslide on Tuesday afternoon.

An injured man was rescued during an Mount Snowdon on Tuesday
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team

A statement from the Llanberis rescue team said: "Yesterday afternoon the team were called to a climbing group who had been avalanched in

Trinity Right Hand gully. One of the party sustaining a lower leg injury.

"With the assistance of RAF Mountain Rescue Valley and Maritime and Coastguard Agency R936 we were able to recover the party off the mountain.

"Lee slopes now have significant snow accumulation and windslab is developing. More snow is forecast and the temperature is set to remain cold. Consolidation is unlikely in the next few days. Enjoy the snow, make good decisions!"

The team advised climbers to take extra warm clothing, crampons and ice axes if routes to the summit of the mountain are covered in ice or snow.

It also warned against relying on electronic mapping or phones for navigation, saying to take compasses and paper maps.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for Wales between 1pm on Thursday and 9pm on Friday.

The warning said snow and ice could lead to road users being stranded and cause delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

Parts of north, mid, and west Wales have been affected by the wintry conditions with more than 100 schools closed.

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