Rescuers dispatched to help a climber who suffered a spectacular fall in the Scottish Highlands near Ben Nevis ignored him at first because they believed they were searching for a seriously injured man.
In fact, Adam Potter, 36 was standing up calmly looking at a map after having just bounced 1000 ft down the side of Sgurr Choinnich Mor.
The fall had knocked Potter unconscious, but when he came to he simply got to his feet and began consulting his map, just as the chopper rescue crew flew over.
“We spotted a man at the bottom and thought t couldn’t be him, as he was on his feet reading a map,” commented one of the rescuers. “He is lucky to be alive. It’s hard to believe someone could fall that distance and been able to stand up.”
The rescue team, having realised their mistake, headed back down the slope before winching him to safety.
Potter was then airlifted to the Southern General Hospital in his hometown of Glasgow where he was recovering from relatively minor injuries including a cut face and three breaks in his back. “I’ve had worse cuts shaving,”he quipped.
Potter says despite his dramatic fall he still plans to climb Everest in eight week’s time.
