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A 21-year-old climber has died after falling more than 1,600ft on the UK's highest mountain.

The man was scaling 4,411ft high Ben Nevis with a fellow climber from Cardiff University Mountaineering Club, who miraculously survived the same plunge with just a couple of broken bones.

The pair were climbing Tower Gully on the mountain's North Face and were going through a cornice - an overhanging ledge of snow - near the top when it collapsed on them.

"The cornice snow was soft and had no real purchase so it started moving," said Donald Paterson, deputy leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team.

"It just collapsed on them as they came through the cornice. The snow was not enough to bury them but large enough to carry them down the mountain.

"They must have fallen 500 metres (1640ft) - one walks away with a few cracked ribs, and the other sadly loses his life."

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Around 30 members of Lochaber MRT were sent after the alarm was raised at 2.25pm on Sunday, but Mr Paterson and a fellow rescuer reached the pair before the Inverness-based Coastguard search and rescue helicopter airlifted them to the Belford Hospital in Fort William.

The survivor's condition is unknown, but Police Scotland said he had "non-life threatening injuries". He was also in his 20s.

"They were both sat in the snow when we found them. The one chap had suffered a very serious head injury. His climbing partner had raised the alarm by mobile phone," said Mr Paterson.

"CPR was administered in the helicopter to the badly injured lad, but sadly he could not be saved. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends over this tragic loss of a young life."

Sergeant Michael Bell of Police Scotland said: "Our thoughts are with the man's friends and family at this very sad time.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.

"I would take the opportunity to thank the crew of the HM Coastguard helicopter and Mountain Rescue Team for their assistance with this incident."

(Image: Getty)

The dead man's next of kin have been aware of the tragedy.

It was the third mountain death in the Highlands within four weeks.

Last month a mother died in a mountain tragedy in the Highlands.

Rebekah Pettifer, 52, was from Northamptonshire area in England.

Her 23-year-old daughter - who has not been named - was seriously hurt after their hike turned to tragedy on November 26, the second fatality on the same peak in five days.

Rescuers were called to search 3,143ft Buachaille Etive Beag - between Glen Coe and Glen Etive - after the mother and daughter were reported injured in separate incidents.

The daughter is thought to have taken ill early in the morning and Ms Pettifer - who was also known as Caroline - while going to fetch help, is understood to have slipped and fallen.

Walkers on the hillside alerted police to the younger woman shortly after 9.30am.

She was reportedly found dazed, confused and very cold.

The second woman was found about 200 yards away.

Police Scotland said that are no suspicious circumstances relating to Ms Pettifer's death and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal, as is standard practice.

Ms Pettifer is understood to have fallen into a small hollow by the side of the mountain path.

She was only spotted by a search and rescue helicopter pilot who alerted the 25-strong rescue team on the ground.

Both women are believed have previously lived in nearby Kinlochleven.

It was the fourth call-out in a week for Glencoe MRT, including to a man who fell to his death on the same mountain five days earlier.

Police have not released details of that fatality at his family's request.

Buachaille Etive Beag forms a ridge nearly two miles in length in length and has two peaks of Munro status mountains over 300 feet - Stob Dubh and Stob Coire Raineach.