My instinct was revolt at someone photographing this incident but rapidly reappraised this as positive journalism; it conveys an incredible amount of concentrated effort to help like few shots I have ever seen.

After retreating from Cioch West upon hearing the rockfall, everything seem to being done to help the injured, and after about 30 minutes I decided to record what positive efforts individuals were making to help the injured. The incident was quite shocking to us all at the time because of the number of injured. Using the camera was the only positive thing I really could do. Is this similar to the predictiment of the photographer in a warzone, or covering an African famine? I have posted more images to both the MRT leader and some of the injured. I have also had requests in the past for such images to go with rescue notes in a number of climbing guidebooks. We all really don't want to wittness such accidents but I just seem to be around lately when such incidents occur (3 in the last 12 months!). This particular image in some way reminded me of that famous photo of the US marines setting up the Stars & Stripes on Mt Kuribachi, but I certainly didn't think about that at the time. As there was a fatality the photos could perhaps provide some help at the following inquest. This accident was not a case of just getting on the mobile and waiting for the rescue services to arrive (which happens all to regularly with 'Joe Public' in other mountain areas). As you state Mike, this was a case of 'all hands to the pumps'. In fact when we started our climb I had not seen any other climbers about, but suddenly many willing hands appeared out of thin air. Perhaps as much as an hour and a half had elasped before the rescue team arrived on the scene, by which time 2 of the injured had been assisted to the foot of the crag and the other injured secured and initial first aid administered. Another had been dispatched with haste to alert the MRT from a landline in Glen Brittle as no mobile signal was available. (Cannot something be done about getting better mobile reception in this area?) The whole rescue took about 6 hours, and without the unstinting help of all those involved it would have taken much longer.

As the person on the stretcher I appreciated the photos that Sean took .As he said there were many willing hands at the foot of the crag and it was nice to see them all in the photos as it was just a mass of people milling round me at the time. Many thanks to Dan in black hat who held my head still until MR arrived with a neck brace.