A group of marines out on a January 24th, 2026 training exercise on highest mountain in the UK stumbled upon a climber curled up in the snow in freezing conditions. The team, which consisted of Scottish Royal Marine Reserves and the Dutch Korps Mariniers, had summited Ben Nevis in Gale Force 8 winds when they noticed the man.
“Solid blocks of ice clung to his eyebrows, hat, and gloves – evidence of long exposure to freezing conditions. One walking pole was bent; the other appeared broken or fully collapsed. When spoken to, he revealed that he had become separated from his two friends and had no idea where they were.” -Colour Sergeant McKenzie, Royal Marine Reserves
With visibility less than 1 meter, the group of reservist Green Berets from Royal Marine Reserves Scotland and their counterparts from the Dutch Korps Mariniers helped the climber down the slope using a improvised stretcher consisting of a waterproof bivvy sack, ropes, a mat and a thick jacket (all standard equipment for their exercises) before he was able to get to his feet and walk out with their support.
“If we hadn’t seen him, he certainly would not have survived.” -Sergeant Onno Lankhaar, Dutch Marines Section Commander
“A major reason we were able to respond as effectively as we did was the excellent training delivered by Sergeant Rich Ely and Major Matt O’Toole in the days leading up to this event. The skills, drills and preparation they reinforced during the week directly enabled us to deal with the situation confidently and safely when it mattered.” -Colour Sergeant McKenzie, Royal Marine Reserves
Cheers to these Royal and Dutch Marines for no doubt saving the life of this poor climber. Incredible work.
“The wind was biting and relentless, and based on conditions we had experienced earlier in the week during Royal Marines mountain training, we estimated gusts to be around 40 mph,” C/Sgt McKenzie added.
The climber did not have crampons so slipped on the icy slope and all the marines were also beginning to feel the effects of exposure from their time on the mountain,
“To speed things up, one of the Dutch lads took his arm to steady him, but his condition continued to deteriorate,” said C/Sgt McKenzie.
“A second Dutch Marine moved to his other side so the pair could support him fully. This improved his stability, but the awkward spacing led to several crampons being knocked loose, forcing multiple short halts to resecure them.
“During the final stop to fix a crampon, his deterioration became unmistakable. His posture sagged, his coordination faltered, and his responses slowed. Then he said he couldn’t bend his leg, a clear sign that cold, exhaustion, and exposure were now affecting his physical functions. He was entering hypothermia, and it was obvious he would not be walking in the immediate future.”
Using a waterproof bivvy sack, ropes, a mat and a thick jacket – all standard equipment for their exercises – the marines improvised a stretcher to haul the casualty down the mountain.
“If we hadn’t seen him, he certainly would not have survived,” said Sgt Onno Lankhaar, section commander for the Dutch marines, who were in Scotland for Exercise Highland Warrior, a mountain-training package with RMR Scotland.
Once the group reached the snowline, the climber was well enough to be able to walk independently and was handed over to emergency services as a precaution. His fellow two walkers had made their way safely down the mountain.
C/Sgt McKenzie said: “It was not only a privilege to be invited by the Dutch to join them on their bucket-list climb of Ben Nevis, but also an absolute pleasure to work alongside them throughout the day.
“A major reason we were able to respond as effectively as we did was the excellent training delivered by Sergeant Rich Ely and Major Matt O’Toole in the days leading up to this event. The skills, drills and preparation they reinforced during the week directly enabled us to deal with the situation confidently and safely when it mattered.”
