Family of survivor in tribute to dead walkers
THE family of a walker who survived after going missing overnight on freezing hills expressed their sympathies yesterday for his two friends who died.
Bobby Thomson, 64, was one of three men who failed to return from a walk in the hills around Durisdeer in Dumfriesshire on Tuesday.
A large- scale search was mounted and the trio were found 2.5miles east of the village on Wednesday.
All three were taken to hospital but Mr Thomson’s friends, George Crosbie, 73, and Geoffrey Stewart, 74, later died.
In a statement issued through Police Scotland, relatives of Mr Thomson thanked rescuers and said he hopes to be home soon.
They added: ‘Our family would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the families of George and Geoff following this tragedy. We are very grateful to all the services involved in the search and rescue and would like to thank them and the staff at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for all their efforts.’
Rescuers had searched into Tuesday night for the men, all experienced hillwalkers from Dumfries, in heavy rain and snow.
Meanwhile, police yesterday named the
‘We don’t know where to look yet’
climber who died in an avalanche on Wednesday as Dave Bankart, 54, of Derbyshire.
He was climbing on Creag Meagaidh, 19 miles north-east of Ben Nevis, when tragedy struck.
Mr Bankart was rescued with a second climber who remains in a serious but stable condition in Belford Hospital in Fort William.
A Police Scotland statement said: ‘The family of Mr Bankart would seek this opportunity to extend their gratitude to all emergency services and mountain rescue personnel.’
Efforts to trace two climbers missing on Ben Nevis remained suspended yesterday as high winds and driving snow prevented ground and air searches. Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27, both from Bradford, Yorkshire, failed to return from the peak last weekend.
Miss Slater’s family have flown from their home in Canada and were yesterday taken by members of Lochaber mountain rescue team to the Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut where she and her boyfriend had been camping.
The rescue teams hope to get on to the mountain today. Team leader John Stevenson said: ‘It is very frustrating. We’re trying to get something for the families mainly and we’ve got nothing to go on. We don’t know where to look yet.’