Army veteran, 67, is found after surviving for a WEEK alone in the Scottish Highlands – after getting lost whilst hiking to Britain’s most remote mainland community
A missing war veteran was airlifted to safety yesterday after using his skills to survive several days in the wilderness.
Paul Conway became lost during his 30-mile trek from the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula in Lochaber after setting off last Tuesday.
The 67-year-old man survived the heavy rain and high winds outside, but lost mobile reception. However, he managed to reach the southern shore of Loch Morar in the remote Highland area yesterday afternoon to call for help.
A major search operation on land and in the air involving police, coastguard and mountain rescue services was launched on Friday after the grandfather failed to arrive in Inverie as planned.
Paul Conway, 67, went missing while walking in a remote corner of the Highlands but used his military skills to survive in the Scottish wilderness
Inverie (above) is the most remote community on mainland Britain – population 111, no roads in or out, reached by a 40km (24 mile) walk over wild mountainous terrain or a six mile ferry journey from Mallaig
The nearest village to Inverie is Glenfinnan, a two-day walk away
In a heartfelt message hours before he was found, his son Chris Conway feared the worst, saying: ‘Dead or alive, I want him found.’
But last night Mr Conway Jr said his father, who served for 11 years with the British Army’s 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, was “in good health and good spirits”.
And he thanked everyone who had helped find the pensioner and ‘bring him to safety’.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team leader Iain Murray called it a “fantastic result for him and the many people who searched for him”.
He said: ‘It’s also a tribute to Paul’s survival skills because he had to deal with some pretty tough weather conditions, to say the least – as did the people searching for him.’
Met Office spokesman Dan Stroud said an active weather front was moving across Scotland on Saturday, “so he would have been experiencing heavy rain and strong gusts of wind”.
He said Sunday would be better, with sunny spells, but there would still be stormy and frequent showers.
Given the amount of time he spent outside, Mr Conway, who also served with Northumbria Police for 30 years, was taken to hospital as a precaution but was ‘otherwise uninjured’.
The good news came after his son Chris previously posted on social media that the grandfather had forgotten to check in at the second bothy during his trek from the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie on the Knyodart Peninsula.
He was due to arrive in the remote village on Friday afternoon, where he planned to have a “free pint” in the village pub, the most remote pub in the UK.
He travelled by train from Newcastle and contacted his family when he arrived in Glenfinnan at around 6.40pm last Tuesday.
But they raised the alarm when he forgot to report that he had arrived in Inverie three days later.
Missing walker Paul Conway fancied a drink at the remote Old Forge Pub in the village of Inverie (pictured)
Mr Conway became lost during his 30-mile trek from the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie, on the Knoydart Peninsula
The village, which lies on the northern shore of Loch Nevis, has no road access and is only accessible by boat from nearby Mallaig.
In an earlier appeal, his son said, “That fool is 67, but he still thinks he’s 21 and can do anything. Which he can’t.”
He went on to explain that Mr Conway had signed the book for the first of three bothies on his route, but had failed to sign in for the next two.
The son added that he believed his father had “lost his way, hurt himself or succumbed to something,” adding: “Dead or alive, I want him found. It’s been a torturous few days.”
Mr Conway was equipped for the journey and set off with a waterproof jacket and walking boots. He also had his essentials in a dark Bergen-style bag and his walking poles.
Detective Inspector Ross McCartney, of Fort William Police, said he was “delighted” that the walker had been reunited with his family safe and sound.
He added: ‘This has been a challenging and lengthy investigation involving a number of partner organisations and specialist police services.
‘These included the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, the RAF Mountain Rescue Team, the Search and Rescue Dog Association, HM Coastguard and the Police Scotland Mountain Rescue Team.
“We are grateful to everyone involved in the search for their efforts to achieve this positive outcome.”