The men had been ascending sheer rocks in Anglesey, north Wales, when an unexpected problem with their kit left one dangling in the air and the other marooned on a ledge.
At about 5.30pm, as dusk fell, they called 999 and asked for the Coastguard, prompting a rapid response organised by the nearby Holyhead Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
These two climbers did exactly the right thing once they realised the situation had got bad
Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs) were despatched from Moelfre and Holyhead; a helicopter from Caernarfon; and RNLI lifeboats from Trearddur Bay and Holyhead.
There were no injuries but with the climbers trapped up to 50 metres below the clifftop, darkness rolling in and temperatures falling, the risks of hypothermia and rope trauma were rising.
The rescue operation was centred on cliffs below Elin’s Tower, just south of the popular island climbing challenge of South Stack.
Once the precise position had been identified from the sea by the Trearddur Bay lifeboat, rope technicians from Moelfre and Holyhead CRTs fixed their gear and sent a Coastguard Rescue Officer (CRO) over the edge to assess the situation.
Ready to respond: the skills that save lives by the coast
What he found immediately raised the stakes: the rope problems meant the climber stuck on the ledge had nothing attaching him to the cliff to keep him from falling at any moment.
The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was called in to support, keeping its distance to ensure the rotorblades’ powerful downdraft did not dislodge casualties or rescuers.
Hovering nearby and shining its light onto the scene, the illumination helped to guide a CRO as he expertly inched his way down the cliff to the first trapped man.
Aeronautical control room officers
The wind strengthened and the waves got rougher. The RNLI lifeboats below stood by to support, looking upwards ready to assist or have a casualty winched down.
The higher of the two climbers was reached by the CRO first. He was made secure, attached to his rescuer, and then slowly walked up the cliff to safety.
The second soon followed, to be reunited with his friend at the clifftop – ending their ordeal about two-and-half-hours after they had first called 999.
Adam Bradbury, HM Coastguard Coastal Operations Area Commander, said: “These two climbers did exactly the right thing once they realised the situation had got bad – they called 999 and asked for the Coastguard.
“Calling for help as soon as they needed it meant we could deploy the expertise of our Coastguard Rescue Officers, HM Coastguard helicopter and RNLI lifeboats to get them to safety as quickly as possible.”
HM Coastguard is one of the UK's frontline emergency services. In an emergency by the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
