A coastguard helicopter, several mountain rescue teams and search and rescue dogs were all scrambled to the area, around 19 miles northeast of Ben Nevis.
Advertisement
“The overwhelming response from members of the public and the climbing community has greatly assisted the search effort and we appreciate all the support and words of encouragement”.
Fears are growing for a British couple who were last seen hiking up Ben Nevis over Valentine’s weekend.
“As the search continues we remain hopeful Rachel and Tim will be found and reunited with their families and friends”.
Hazardous weather conditions hampered the search crews on Wednesday and an avalanche elsewhere in the Highlands saw a rescue helicopter diverted from the operation.
Two men were airlifted from the Creag Meagaidh area of north Lochaber and one of the climbers later died in hospital, while the other remains in a serious condition.
The families added that Ms Slater is thought to have been wearing a turquoise jacket and purple helmet while Mr Newton was wearing a red jacket.
A second man from a group of hillwalkers who disappeared overnight in the Southern Uplands of Scotland has died, police have confirmed.
A large-scale search was launched for Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and Geoffrey Stewart, 74, after they failed to return from a walk in the hills around Durisdeer in Dumfries and Galloway on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s such a big area and the way the weather’s been, it’s our best chance of covering a lot of ground very quickly”, said LMRT’s John Stevenson.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said: “We will be back out on foot as soon as conditions allow to carry out the search safely”.
Andy Neilson, team leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue, told BBC Radio Scotland that the weather on the mountains on Thursday morning remained wintry, with squally showers and heavy snow.
The pair were flown from the area to Fort William where they were picked up by ambulances and taken to Belford Hospital.
Earlier, the team said it had not given up hope of finding the couple alive.
The rescue team posted just days before: “Stunningly lovely today on the Ben, however extremely challenging snow conditions”.
Ms Slater is employed as a mineral, waste and environmental consultant near Bradford and wrote in a blog that she lived in Canada for four years, where she joined a youth climbing team.
“Our condolences are with the family of the walkers who died”.
Advertisement
Two members of the rescue team were caught up in an avalanche during the search of Tuesday but survived unscathed.
