Body found in search for walker

Feb 11 2013

Five hillwalkers missing overnight in the Scottish Highlands have been found by a search and rescue helicopter, but rescuers searching for the missing member of the party have recovered a body, police later confirmed.

A major search operation involving 112 people from the police, RAF and mountain rescue teams was launched when the party of six men were reported overdue in the Cairngorms on Sunday afternoon.

They are all understood to be students in their 20s from the Leeds area. An RAF spokesman said five of the men were picked up by rescue helicopter 137 and all were uninjured.

The man's body was found in the Jacob's Ladder area of the Cairngorms, Northern Constabulary said. His identity has not yet been revealed, although police said there are no other missing people in the area. The man will not be named until his next of kin have been told.

Police said the five other hillwalkers were located on a hill near Carn Tarsuinn in the Cairngorms, by Braemar Mountain Rescue Team, at around 12.10pm on Monday. When contact was made with the group, it emerged that one person was still missing from the party of six.

The five walkers who are safe are said to be uninjured. They have been taken by helicopter to the Aviemore area.

They were part of a large group of 35 people who were visiting the Highlands, police said. They are either from, or connected to, Leeds University. Police inquiries into the incident are continuing.

As well as the helicopter, the RAF had three other teams from Lossiemouth and Leuchars working on the ground.

The search was co-ordinated by Northern Constabulary and Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, with assistance from Braemar and Dundonnell mountain rescue teams and officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who are thought to have been in the area on a training exercise.

Further help was given by mountain rescue team members from the Lake District and Ogwen Valley in Wales, as well as sniffer dogs.