Sunday evening, the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team utilised a ski tow to bunny-hop up a 478-meter (1,568-foot) hill in order to rescue an injured woman.
The incident occurred in the Pentland Hills, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, above the Midlothian Snowsports Centre. The hillwalker, in her fifties, slipped and fractured her ankle while wearing appropriate winter walking gear.
In order to reach the woman as quickly as possible in the dark, wet, and windy conditions, the rescue team used a button tow, as explained by the incident manager of the rescue team, Dave Wright. In order to accomplish this, they had to jump from one leg to the other and then push off again, which was difficult for those not wearing skis.
Once at the summit, the rescuers constructed a sledge from a stretcher with skids that weighed more than 100 kilogrammes (16 stones) in total. They then utilised a long rope to slide the body down the dry ski slope to an ambulance waiting at the base of the hill, saving at least two hours compared to the normal rescue time.
Mr. Wright remarked that they were “extremely proud” of this “unique” rescue.
On Sunday evening, a mountain rescue team in Edinburgh utilised a ski tow to bunny-hop up a 478-meter-tall (15-foot-tall) hill and rescue an injured woman.
Above the Midlothian Snowsports Centre in the Pentland Hills, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, a hillwalker in her fifties slipped and fractured her ankle. Dave Wright, the incident manager for the rescue team, explained that the team used a button tow to get up the hill in order to reach the woman as quickly as possible, but that this was difficult for those who were not wearing skis.
Once at the summit, they constructed a sledge using a stretcher with skis, which weighed more than 100 kilogrammes (16 stones). This was then slid down the dry ski slope to an ambulance waiting at the bottom of the hill, saving at least two hours compared to a typical rescue.
Mr. Wright remarked that they were “extremely proud” of this “unique” rescue. In addition, he thanked the ski centre staff for their assistance and reminded individuals to take all necessary precautions when walking in winter conditions.
On Sunday evening, a mountain rescue team in Edinburgh utilised a ski tow to bunny-hop up a 478-meter-tall (15-foot-tall) hill in order to rescue an injured woman. The Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team utilised a button tow to ascend the hill after discovering a hillwalker lying directly above the Midlothian Snowsports Centre in the Pentland Hills.
Using a stretcher with skids and a long rope, they created a sledge at the top of the hill and slid it down the dry ski slope to an ambulance waiting at the bottom of the hill. This saved them at least two hours compared to the normal time required for rescue.
The incident manager of the rescue team, Dave Wright, described this as a “very unique rescue” of which they were “very proud.” In addition, he thanked ski centre employees for their assistance and reminded individuals to take all necessary precautions when walking in winter conditions.
