Local teenager's dramatic rescue (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Local teenager's dramatic rescue

2:00pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

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A BROMSGROVE teenager is recovering in the high dependency unit of a Welsh hospital after a dramatic mountain rescue in Snowdonia.

Sixteen-year-old Ben Halley, of Fallowfields Close, slithered off the Tryfan mountainside (pictured) and plunged 100ft below, last Saturday morning.

The North Bromsgrove High School pupil is believed to have smashed against the rockface as he plunged down the mountain onto a narrow ledge which broke his fall.

Ben landed precariously on the ledge on the 2,750ft high north tower and injured his skull, ribs, and collar bone. His lung was also punctured.

Speaking from Ben's hospital bedside, his mother Joanne Green said: "He was with his uncle, who risked his life to lower himself down after him and held his head together and talked to him until the mountain rescuers arrived.

"They said he and his two friends probably saved Ben's life. I am so grateful he was in such good hands."

Yesterday the 37-year-old mother of three said: "Ben has been unconscious up until today and we have been very worried, but so grateful he's awake now and improving."

By coincidence, the Advertiser/Messenger's sales executive, Sally Bradshaw, was about to tackle another peak when she caught sight of the rescue operation in the distance.

The 42-year-old keen climber said: "Our party watched the helicopter circling in the sky. The wind speed was about 60 mph and visibility on top of the mountain was poor. That peak is what we call a scrambling mountain, which is tricky. It does not matter how experienced climbers are, accidents happen."

The operation to rescue Ben was launched at around 10am on Saturday by the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team.

Chris Lloyd, of the rescue team, said that Ben was lucky he landed on a ledge because he could have fallen a lot further. He said the rescue took six hours, hampered by bad weather conditions which reduced visibility. Eventually Ben was carried by a stretcher on ropes more than 1,000ft down the mountain to a point where he could be winched by a Sea King helicopter.

Rescuers had to set up rope-ways down the mountainside as he was gently carried down over a period of three hours - while being administered oxygen.

Upon reaching a suitable winching point Ben was initially taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital before being transferred to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Mrs Green said Ben's accident had brought home to her just how dangerous mountain climbing is. She said: "He's got a great passion for it, is experienced, and is always accompanied by very experienced adults. Ben loves the views and the scenery, and his hobby keeps him off the streets."

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