Page 31 - RAFMA Winter 2003

Slung Load'. I was officially bricking myself.
I'm sure many people would pay good money for my trip, but
as you can see from my body language, I was not one of them. We flew on to what seemed like ages, but in reality was probably only 2 minutes, before being unceremoniously dumped on a glacier some distance from the ridge. As the helicopter hovered overhead I unclipped, got a thumbs up and the helicopter flew off back to the ridge. What should I do now? The same thought hod obviously entered the minds of o group on the glacier a short distance away, they just stood and surveyed me. Shortly the egg whisk returned, landed beside me and threw a medical kit in my direction before
buggering off again, saying something about being picked up shortly.
Again, what to do? - So I sat on the med-kit; a glacier can have a wonderful effect on piles? Fortunately, the little helicopter had gone to collect Sam from the ridge and a larger helicopter arrived to whisk us to hospitol, thankfully this time inside. Rob and Damien were left on the ridge to continue their adventure. The whole incident from start to finish had taken less than one hour.
After being sown up, and mercifully only suffering a chipped leg bone, my climbing escapades in Switzerland were over. Now to face the music over the rescue bill, this being 6500SF for the Helicopter, 400SF Medical and 600SF for Mr Milk Tray. As I was working for the Navy the injoke was "caused by the Army, damaging the RAF and paid for by the Navy" - a true Tri-Service Incident. Needless to say, my Boss considers my ontics unaffordable.
Simon Pescue
Journal 2003 RÀFMA 3 '