Ben Nevis: Helicopter searches for missing couple Rachel Slater and Tim Newton

'You always have hope but as time goes on that diminishes quite rapidly'

(PA)

A helicopter has taken part in the search for the climbers missing on Ben Nevis.

The HM Coastguard Rescue helicopter 951 set off after midday on Wednesday to look for 24-year-old Rachel Slater and 27-year-old Tim Newton, a spokesperson from Police Scotland said.

It came after the search effort was initially suspended due to heavy snow on Wednesday morning.

The spokesperson told The Independent the helicopter was able to conduct the search following a "break in the weather". However, the ground conditions were still “too dangerous” and “unsettled” to send teams out on foot.

Ms Slater and Mr Newton, both from Bradford in West Yorkshire, went climbing on Britain’s highest mountain on the weekend but were reported missing on Monday. It is believed they had been camping behind the Charles Inglis Clark memorial hut on the north side of the mountain.

John Stevenson from the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team (MRT), told BBC Radio Scotland about the decision to suspend the search on Wednesday morning. “We’re expecting more bad weather so we’ve put everything on hold and are reviewing it.”

“It’s always a worry when you’re putting people in to these areas. It’s quite scary and very hard work in these conditions.”

Mr Stevenson said the snow determined whether people could be sent out to search.

“As time goes on it’s very difficult, the weather conditions have been really bad and no-one has heard from them or seen them is a worry," he said. “You always have hope but as time goes on that diminishes quite rapidly."

On Tuesday, 36 people were sent out to look for the couple around the Coire na Ciste and South Trident Buttress area - the location where Ms Slater and Mr Newton were last believed to have been seen on Sunday. But the effort was called off after five hours due to poor weather conditions including 80 to 90mph winds and temperatures which felt like -20°C, Lochaber MRT said on their Facebook page.

The same day, two members of the rescue team were caught up in an avalanche but survived.

Additional reporting by PA