RAF praised for Carmarthenshire mountain airlift
Mountain rescuers have paid tribute to the pilots of an RAF rescue helicopter who battled dire weather conditions to airlift a teenager to safety.
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team said the 16-year-old was in a college party of 28, from Wiltshire, camping overnight in mountains in Carmarthenshire.
The RAF pilots, from Chivenor, Devon, worked in gales, low cloud and torrential rain on Wednesday night.
The boy is being treated at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, after falling 10m.
The incident happened in the Black Mountains near Llyn y Fan Fach, Llanddeusant, and the 25 teenagers and three staff members were from St Joseph's Catholic College, Swindon.
The young people were completing their gold and silver Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team was called out to help the injured teenager after teachers raised the alarm.
The teenager was treated at the scene for suspected spinal and internal injuries before being airlifted to Morriston Hospital.
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team's deputy leader, Mark Jones, said: "The group were camping overnight when one lad ran down a slope, fell and tumbled 10 metres.
"Twenty-two members of our team attended and the casualty was stretchered to a point where the helicopter could land. We work closely with the RAF rescue teams and last night they displayed some incredible flying skills."
He said the college group was well equipped and prepared.
Brecon members were joined by members of Central and Western mountain rescue teams, and they led all the remaining members of the camping party off the mountain.
Morriston Hospital in Swansea told Brecon Mountain Rescue Team on Thursday that the boy did not have spinal injuries. However, he will have a scan to investigate suspected internal injuries.