Pensioner rescued from Cheviots

Tony Robinson, 70, from Manchester, had the finish in Kirk Yetholm firmly in his sights on Saturday night, only to lose his footing and fall heavily while crossing boggy ground.

With night approaching and the weather on the hill worsening, Tony called for Mountain Rescue.

Teams from both sides of the border were dispatched in what was later described as a “textbook” operation.

Damon Rodwell of Border Search and Rescue Unit said that Tony handled the dire situation well.

“Immediately he realised that his walk had come to an abrupt end. He dragged himself into a hollow to escape the blustery wind, wrapped himself in all the spare layers he could muster, took some pain-killers from his first-aid pack and summoned help.

“He was able to give us an accurate grid-reference, which is always a huge help.”

A BSRU volunteer who lives just a few miles from where the walker fell was first on the scene. He was able to stabilise Tony’s injury and make him comfortable in an emergency shelter.

“He is one of that stoic generation,” Damon Rodwell continued.

“The weather was pretty nasty and it took some extremely deft driving by one of our members to get a Land Rover as high onto the hill as he did.”

Rescuers said that despite his situation Tony was bantering with them as they stretchered him off the hill, trying to avoid the bogs themselves.

He was then taken to Borders General Hospital, where a broken ankle was confirmed.

He spent the night there before being taken home by his son the next morning.

“It was a textbook job,” commented team leader Stuart Fuller-Shapcott. “We have been busy recently providing first-aid cover at the various ride-outs that are taking place across our area through the summer, but a genuine life-or- death hill callout reminds us why we all volunteered for Mountain Rescue in the first place.”