Red Hawk Rising

by Peter William Hall

  “I think I have a broken ankle at least. I was unconscious for a while but when I came to, I had this terrible pain in one ankle. I called out for help but no reply. This mist really deadens sound. I got my rope out somehow and managed to drive a piton into the cliff. Then I tied the rope to it to make a loop that I could sit in. I still hurt down one side and my head is painful where I hit the cliff so I don’t know what damage has been done there. The man below is still tied to me as I couldn’t hold him and transfer the rope.”

  “Thanks,” Andy said. “We’ll get you up to the top and some help. Do you know anything about the man below you?” He got a shake of the head in reply. “Okay. I’m going back up so that we can organise the best way to get you up. Just hold on and we’ll be back.” With that, Andy started climbing back up to where he left the main rope. It took him a while as he was getting tired. He got back to the starting point and re-connected himself to the main rope and gave it three tugs. He was soon back up to the top and making his report.

  Resting with his back against a rucksack and sipping a mug of soup, Andy explained that it may be possible for the third man to be pulled to the top without him being carried. “He has a good leg and his arms are okay so that he should be able to ward himself off the cliff-face as he is being pulled up. Then whoever goes down could stay down and go and look for the fourth person. How is the Major?”

  “He fell asleep after the painkillers took effect. He seems to be resting comfortably at present,” said Joe Morris.

  He went on, “I’m not sure how we can dress a broken ankle. It may be better to leave his boot on and try and use something as a couple of splints to hold boot and leg rigid.”

  “Okay, let’s focus on getting him up first and finding out about the fourth man,” said Bradley. “Stan, how are you feeling? If you are up to it, then it would be better to send you down because you are familiar with what is down there. If not, one of the others will need to be briefed and go down.”

  “I’ll go down, Flight,” said Stan. “Others can go down to bring up the dead person.” He got a nod in reply. Stan spent a few minutes with Andy checking the different details and then got himself and his equipment ready to go down again. By this time the mist was starting to thin a little as a slight breeze stirred the air. It could still be quite some time before it dispersed. The time was now 13:15 hours.

  “Okay, I’m ready to go down. Let’s get on with it. The rest of the team went to their places and the rope was steadily paid out and Stan abseiled down the cliff. He paused at the bulge to check the piton and the rope tied to it. All was well. Stan continued down, going past the dead man and reaching the no. 3 man. “Okay, sir, we are going to get you up. I’m going to tie this rope to you and they’ll pull you up on your own. Keep facing the cliff-face and use your good leg to keep away from it as you are pulled up. You should be okay. I’m going to transfer myself to your piton and then wait to be lifted to the top.

  “Don’t call me sir. My name is Phil. Where’s the other man?” Stan was asked.

  “He is resting after previous efforts but he’s okay. The man above you is dead so don’t try to stop and check him. We need to get you to the top and receive some treatment,” Stan told him. “First, we need to transfer the rope holding the man below you to the piton. Untie your main rope and hold onto your loop cradle for a minute while we do the transfers.” Phil did as he was told. Stan tied Garasov’s rope to himself and the other end to the piton. Then he untied the main rope and tied it to Phil. Having done that, he took the strain on the rope holding the fourth man while Phil untied it from himself and tied it to the piton. “Okay, I think we are ready,” said Stan. Giving the main rope three tugs he said, “Up you go, Phil,” and Phil was quickly pulled up and disappeared into the mist.

  Waiting for a signal, Stan untied the rope Phil had used to support himself, coiled it and looped it over his shoulder. The movement and action helped to keep him warm. Soon the main rope came snaking down. He fastened it to himself, then undid Garasov’s rope, looped it and put that over his shoulder also. Then Stan gave three tugs on the rope and was hauled up to the top.

  While he was being hauled up, a radio message came in to say that a rescue team was on its way up with extra equipment and stretchers but it would, of course, be hours before they would arrive. The time was now 13:45 hours. This person had been rescued in much shorter time. The team was now functioning smoothly to the task and the man, Phil, was able to come up on his own.

  Back up at the top, Stan reported the situation. Andy said, “I’ll go down again, Flight. I’ve recovered enough to do it.” Five minutes later he took one of the lengths of looped rope and put it over his shoulder, hooked some extra pitons to his belt and was on the way down again. Andy abseiled down slowly in small jumps. He passed the bulge and then the dead man and paused when he reached where Phil had been hanging. Here he checked that the piton was solid and the rope firmly tied. Then he lowered himself slowly down the cliff until he saw a figure hanging on the end of the rope. The man was limp and still. Andy manoeuvred himself alongside and nudged the man. There was no response. Then Andy turned the body and saw a face that was white. He put his hand to the man’s neck to try and feel for a pulse. He thought he could feel something very faintly but couldn’t be sure. Andy then lifted an eyelid of the man but there was no movement of the eye. Next, Andy put a finger under the man’s nostril to see if he was breathing. He seemed to be doing so very weakly but again Andy wasn’t quite sure. It could be a trick of the weather. If this man was still alive, he wouldn’t last long where he was. Andy gave three urgent tugs on the rope. There was a quick response.

  Andy’s face appearing over the edge of the cliff told the others that it was serious. Scrambling over the lip and up beside the others, he reported quickly, “The fourth man may still be alive but not for long if he is. He’s very cold and may be that is what is helping to kill him. He seemed to have a very weak pulse. We need to repeat the piggy-back technique.

  “Right, Andy,” said Bradley, “go straight back down to him and tie yourself to the rock-face. Joe, you are a lot fresher than Stan. This time you go down and piggy-back the man up. We’ll get ready to receive him and do first aid when you get up. Andy, two pulls on the rope when you are free of it. Okay, let’s jump to it.” Secured to the rope again, Andy lowered himself over the edge and abseiled down to the fourth man. Hammering a piton into the rock, he quickly tied himself to it, undid the main rope and gave it two tugs. The rope quickly disappeared from sight.

  Five minutes later, Andy saw Joe appearing out of the mist and called out, “Nearly there, Joe.”

  At that, Joe slowed his descent until he was beside Andy. He looked at the fourth man and said, “I see what you mean. It’ll be touch and go with him.” Andy nodded in agreement as Joe handed him a coil of rope. Between them they got the man’s arms over Joe’s shoulders and tie the hands together and then to Joe’s belt. Andy then untied the rope from the man’s waist and gave Joe a nod. Joe tugged on the rope three times and the two of them were quickly hauled up the cliff-face. Gradually, they disappeared from Andy’s sight and he felt a weariness coming over him. Taking some raisins from his pocket he ate some of them and then started to swing himself back and forth a few times to keep active. Five minutes later, the main rope appeared and Andy tiredly hooked himself onto it. Then he unfastened the other rope from the piton, coiled it and put it over his shoulder. Three tugs and he was being hauled to the top.

  As Andy was being hauled to the top, Flying Officer Crombie and his team appeared out of the mist from the south. He quickly assessed the situation and pointed to two of his team and then to the rope being hauled up. They nodded, dropped off their rucksacks and went to relieve the others hauling on the rope. Being much fresher, they were able to haul Andy more quickly. He was nearly caught at the sudden pace as he fended himself off the cliff-face while being hauled up. At the top, willing arms were ready to help him away from the edge. The time was
now 14:50 hours.

  One of Crombie’s team was from Mountain Rescue and had training in medical emergencies. He took over from Joe Morris and his partner and directed the work to revive the last man to have been brought up. Put into a sleeping bag and protected from the wind, there was an improvement in his pulse. A tent was erected and he was placed inside. A stove was lit and put where it could warm up the inside of the tent. The man was still unconscious but colour was returning to his face and his hands were warming up a little. The man called Phil was checked out again and it was determined that he may also have broken ribs but he was comfortable. Major Garasov had been dozing but woke up with the extra activity and saw all the extra people. He also noted that two of his team had also been brought up safely and one was still down the mountain somewhere. He was impressed with the training and dedication of these men even though they were not the professional rescue people. Major Garasov noticed Corporal Hill and his team-mate resting and looking very tired. He realised that they must have done most of the cliff work. Then he thought, “I’d like to have them on my team in a tricky situation,” and then he caught himself. “These are the enemies of the USSR,” and he closed his eyes again as he realised, he needed to re-think things after this experience.

  Andy and Stan were allowed to find a place to rest. They were very tired from their efforts. They got themselves hot drinks and rested. Soon they were joined by others that had been doing much of the hauling and rope handling. Flying Officer Crombie spoke to Flight Sergeant Bradley, “You’ve all done a terrific job here, Brad. I think we are better to wait for the rescue team to arrive rather than try to take these injured men down. We’ll let them do that and also let them bring up the dead person. You and your team have had enough. When you are ready and the men have rested, you can start to return to base. You may need to camp somewhere overnight and get to base tomorrow morning. My team can hold the fort until the rescue team arrives. I think they’ll know their way, even in the dark and they’ll have torches. We will most likely have to stay up here overnight unless the sky clears and we can get a chopper in.”

  The mist continued to thin and was visibily, steadily improving. The slight breeze was from the south which could mean more snow would fall if it caused a temperature rise. With it there was a lifting of spirits all round.

  Flying Officer Crombie went across to Major Garasov. “How are you feeling, sir?” he asked. “Can you tell me what happened, please?”

  Major Garasov nodded. “I’m comfortable but will be glad to get medical treatment. I fear that my injuries are more than a dislocated shoulder. As for what happened, as the most experienced person I was the lead man and all four of us were roped together. Visibility had reduced and I called a stop to check on where we were. While I was consulting map and compass, the no. 4 man walked away towards the cliff edge followed by no. 3. As they stood together, it all suddenly gave way and they dropped, pulling no. 2 and myself after them. I was caught by surprise and we had no time to try and brace ourselves to hold them. As we fell, I tried to get my ice axe free to try and jam it into the cliff-face but it meant that I fell more to the side. Then the rope snagged on the rock that was jutting out and it pulled us all up. That may have saved our lives. By the way, where is my no. 2 man?”

  “I’m sorry to say that the team reported him as dead. He had a nasty head wound and they couldn’t find breath or pulse. We are leaving it to the rescue team to bring him up. My men are worn out with the effort they have put in so far.”

  Major Garasov nodded, “They are brave men and they have saved three lives. Could I speak with the two that rescued me, please?”

  Flying Officer Crombie nodded, “Certainly. I’ll ask them to come across when they’ve rested a little more. Would that be okay, sir?” Major Garasov nodded and lay back again and closed his eyes. He was impressed that this air force officer had been courteous in the way he had addressed him.

  Ten minutes later, Crombie went over to Andy and Stan. “How are you two feeling?”

  “We’re getting there, sir,” said Stan.

  “Right, Major Garasov has asked to speak with you both. Remember that he is an officer so treat him accordingly.” They both nodded their understanding.

  “We’d better see what he wants,” said Andy as he rose to his feet. Stan nodded his agreement, rose, and they both walked across to the major.

  As they came and stood before Major Garasov, Andy said, “Sir, you want to speak to us?”

  “Yes,” said Major Garasov, “I want to thank you for saving my life and the lives of two of my team. Given the conditions, how did you know that we were down there?”

  “Well sir,” said Andy, “we came across your tracks in the snow and followed them since we were going in the same direction. Then we noticed that there was snow scuffed away and the tracks stopped. So we investigated and found what appeared to be a snow overhang broken away. We guessed the rest and decided to send someone down to check further.”

  “I’m very glad that you did. We might have perished before we were discovered missing. Again, I want to thank you for saving my life. We may never meet again but I will not forget what you did for me today.”

  Corporal Stanier replied, “We only did our duty, sir, as others would do. We hope that you get well soon.” Both corporals came to attention and nodded their heads before turning away to join the rest of their team getting ready to return down the mountain.

  The mist was steadily dispersing as the day wore on and visibility was continually improving. As Bradley’s team shouldered their rucksacks and prepared to move out, the beat of helicopter rotors was heard. Everyone stopped. There was a buzzing of the radio and Crombie quickly took it from his radio man. “Flying Officer Crombie here. Is that RAF Mountain Rescue? Over.” “Confirmed, sir. Flight Sergeant Watson speaking. We are looking for a landing spot but you could help us. We’d like to get people out before last light, if we can.”

  “Understood, Flight. We are about fifteen minutes’ walk south of Carne na Criche, which would be a suitable landing place for you. If we light a flare, would you be able to descend above it and lower a stretcher? The mist is thinning and we have about an hour of daylight left. Over”

  “We could do that provided we stay in radio contact and you talk us in. When it sounds as though we are directly overhead, light the flare and we will do a slow descent until you can see us. We will try to come down to about ten feet above the ground if we have enough visibility. Over.”

  “Understood, Flight. You sound to be roughly due north of us now and moving westerly. Over.”

  “Adjusting now, sir. Moving east-south-east. Over.”

  “You’re coming closer, Flight. Keep coming as you are. The sound is getting stronger.” The chopper steadily came closer over the next minute. While this was happening, team members got a flare out of a rucksack and prepared it for use. “You sound pretty close now, Flight, a little east of us. Over.”

  “In twenty seconds, light your flare, sir. We now have visibility for about sixty feet and are slowly descending. Over.”

  A count to twenty and then, “Flare lit, Flight. We see you. You are about fifty feet above us and a little south-east. Over.”

  “We see the flare and are adjusting our descent. Over.” The helicopter came steadily down to about ten feet above the ground. A figure at the open door gave them a wave and the helicopter came lower and then remained stationary and hovered. Three Mountain Rescue men were lowered to the ground with their equipment. Then a hoist was quickly slid out of the open door and a stretcher lowered to the ground. Major Garasov was lifted and taken over and put on the stretcher. He was hauled up into the helicopter. Soon the stretcher was lowered again and the very sick man was put on it and the process repeated, followed by the man with the broken ankle. “I’ve got room for four more passengers,” the crewman called out.

  Flying Officer Crombie called out, “Stanier, Hill, Morris and you, Flight. The other two can stay with me. You take co
ntrol at base, Flight, and keep in touch with what happens down there (giving him a knowing look). I’ll stay and look after things here.” Bradley and the three corporals immediately ran forward and were winched into the helicopter.

  “We may have time for another flight before dark, sir, and could take more of you out,” called out the Flight Sergeant.

  “Fine. See how you go, Flight.” A wave and the helicopter rose into the air and headed north towards Glenmore Lodge where a doctor and assistants were standing by. It would take them only a few minutes to get there.

  Back along the track, a rescue team had received a message that they could turn back as they were no longer needed at the site. With the three Mountain Rescue airmen now on the ground and able to help, Flying Officer Crombie explained that a dead person was still hanging on the cliff-face and needed bringing up. The men were briefed on the situation and they went to work. They prepared a length of rope, hammered a piton into the rock and tied the rope onto it. They each connected themselves to a rope, one of them put a body-bag over his shoulder, and they both lowered themselves over the edge and abseiled down. Reaching the dead man, the two men signalled by one pull on the rope and the length made firm so that they could work with two hands. They worked quickly and soon the dead man was in the body-bag. One of them climbed up to the piton which held the dead man’s rope in place, unfastened it and tied it to his own rope while the man below held and steadied the body-bag. They both gave their ropes three tugs and were steadily hauled to the cliff-top. It had taken less than thirty minutes. As they were nearing the cliff-top they all heard the approaching helicopter and a repeat performance of bringing it in was carried out. The body-bag was loaded first and then Flying Officer Crombie and his team were boarded. The three Mountain Rescue airmen were to walk to Carn na Criche summit while the helicopter made a return trip. It would pick them up there and then fly down to Glenmore Lodge for the night. Twenty minutes later the three airmen were picked up in the fading daylight and transported to Glenmore Lodge. Ambulances had taken the injured men to the small hospital in Aviemore and the dead man was picked up during the evening and taken to the town morgue after he had been identified by the leader of the Mancunian Mountaineering Club. The police said that they would take statements in the morning.