Italian climbers plucked from the mountain at hospital; Army spokesman

Описание: (6 Aug 2008) SHOTLIST
Skardu
1. Various of helicopter carrying rescued Italian climber Marco Confortola flying over Skardu, landing
2. Various exteriors of CMH military hospital, vehicle arriving
3. Confortola being helped out of vehicle
4. Confortola being pushed in wheelchair
5. Close-up of Confortola's frostbitten feet on hospital bed
6. Mid of Confortola seated
7. Confortola speaking
8. Various of Confortola lying on hospital bed
Gilgit
9. Wide of mountains
10. Set-up of Major Farooq Feroz, Pakistan Army spokesman
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Major Farooq Feroz, Pakistan Army spokesman:
"Well, today Pakistani army aviation pilots have successfully completed their rescue mission and rescued 13 Korean members and two Italian climbers from K2 area. They all have been successfully rescued and they have been shifted to Skardu and later Mr Marco, whose nationality is Italian, he was critically injured and his condition was not very good. Therefore he was shifted to CMH Skardu where he has been treated by Pakistan army doctors and now his condition is reportedly very well and is stable."
12. Wide of street, vehicle passing by
STORYLINE:
The last survivor of the deadliest mountaineering disaster ever to hit the world's second-highest peak was airlifted off K2 on Wednesday, nearly five days after the tragedy, and taken to a military hospital, a Pakistani army spokesman said.
Italian Marco Confortola, three members of his support team, and a group of South Koreans were taken by helicopter from a K2 base camp to the nearest town of Skardu, army spokesman Major Farooq Feroz said.
"Today Pakistani army aviation pilots have successfully completed their rescue mission and rescued 13 Korean members and two Italian climbers from K2 area," Feroz said.
"They have been shifted to Skardu and later Mr Marco, whose nationality is Italian, he was critically injured and his condition was not very good, therefore he was shifted to CMH Skardu where he has been treated by Pakistan army doctors," Feroz said.
Feroz added that Confortola's condition was "reportedly very well and is stable."
As many as 30 mountaineers began their ascent of K2 on Friday.
An avalanche swept some climbers away and left others stranded in frigid conditions just below the 28,250-foot (8,610 metre) summit.
In all, 11 people died: three South Koreans, two Nepalis, two Pakistanis and mountaineers from France, Ireland, Serbia and Norway.
37-year-old Confortola was the last survivor to reach safety.
He limped into base camp with frostbitten feet on Tuesday, but thick clouds forced him to stay an extra night.
AP Television pictures on Wednesday showed Confortola arriving by helicopter in Skardu, where he was transferred to a military hospital.
Confortola was reported to be in good condition, despite his toes being blackened by frostbite.
He told Italy's SKY TG 24 TV that he would return to Italy "as soon as possible" to see a doctor he trusted to treat his feet and lower limbs.
The Italian also echoed criticism of the expedition voiced by a Dutch climber rescued on Monday.
Confortola said the expedition was undermined by inexperience and low-quality equipment, including ropes and spikes that easily broke.
His plight has been front-page news for days in Italy with constant updates on his progress broadcast on television.
Fatal accidents are common on the treacherous peaks that attract top mountaineers to Pakistan each summer, but this is the deadliest single incident in memory, surpassing the seven climbers killed on K2 during a fierce storm in 1995.

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