Third climber dies after avalanche in Scottish Highlands

A third person has died following an avalanche in the mountainous region of Cairngorm, Scotland

11:38 15 February 2013

A third climber has been killed after being buried by snow in the Chalamain Gap area of the Cairngorms in Scotland. The tragic news comes after an avalanche hit the area, which is situated in the Scottish Highlands. Other members of the same party are believed to have escaped unhurt.

 

A search mission was put in place following the avalanche, with three people being airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on Thursday. A man and a woman were confirmed to have died as a result of the incident, and the death of the second man was announced on Friday morning.

It is believed that the second man, who was in a critical state, died as a result of his injuries caused by the disaster.

David Rutledge, from Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, spoke of the incident. He said: "Snow conditions would have been affected massively by the weather we've had over the last few days, but significantly temperatures were increasing throughout the day and that will have had an effect on what was going on."

And the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond also remarked on the tragic loss of the climbers lives. He said: "This is another stark and tragic reminder of the dangers on our mountains."

Mr. Salmond offered his sympathy to the climber’s friends and family. He said: "My thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of those who have sadly been killed in this tragic accident, as well as those who are still being cared for in hospital."

The Scottish mountain range, the Cairngorms, is usually accessed by traditional routes called the Lairig Ghru and Lairig Laoigh. The Cairngorms National Park in Scotland lies North of Dundee, the fourth largest city in Scotland, and West of Aberdeen, which is the country’s third most popular city.