An adventurer who was rescued from the remote Atlantic outcrop of Rockall feared another night on the tiny islet would have killed him.
Chris “Cam” Cameron’s attempt to break the record for living on Rockall was cut short at the end of June as a fearsome storm battered his shelter.
The 54-year-old former soldier was nearly swept away and much of his equipment was lost, forcing him to tether himself directly onto the rock.
The uninhabited islet is 370km west of North Uist in Scotland and 418km north of the Co Donegal coast. Rockall is a mere 30m wide and 21m long.
Speaking to STV, Mr Cameron said the weather left him with no option except to call the coastguard for help.
With his voice choked by emotion, he told the broadcaster: “I felt that I was not going to survive another night.
“Had it not been for the weather I could have seen the other 14 days out but I didn’t think I was going to get to see my family again.”
The former Gordon Highlander spent 32 days on Rockall.
Nick Hancock set the world record at 45 days in 2014.
Mr Cameron took on the Rockall challenge to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
As waves beat against the rock, the water began damaging the small “land pod” which was the only structure on the island.
He said: “I could hear the sonic boom of the waves smashing against the rock.
“And then, as it receded it would pull open the door, it would suck the door open.
“I had to grab the door and physically hold it shut to avoid the water from smashing in and potentially drowning me.
“At that point, I decided I cannot stay on the land pod any more, it’s too dangerous, so I scrambled out onto the rock, tied myself on, and then the next five, six hours I was just being smashed by constant waves.”
The adventurer said he was “hypothermic” at this point, with all but the very top of Rockall being hit by the waves.
In the morning, he issued a mayday call and his rescue was coordinated by the coastguard at Stornoway.
Earlier, he had told the PA news agency how he was “not looking forward to” the looming storm, but he still felt he was in the final stretch of his challenge.
He said: “I’ve got a separate safety tether that goes from my climbing harness out through the land pod on to a bolt which is completely independent of the land pod, so if everything gets washed away I’ll still be on the rock.
“I’ve got a dry suit, emergency position-indicating radio beacon, life jackets, VHF radio, torches, rations in a grab bag ready to go in case I lose everything.”
A documentary about Mr Cameron’s challenge, named Rockall, The Edge Of Existence, is currently being produced.
Donations can still be made via: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rockallexped
Information on the documentary can be found at: www.rockalldoc.com.
