So when the helicopter crew spotted Adam Potter on his feet and consulting a map 1,000 ft below the summit, they continued their search for an injured man.
In fact Mr Potter had fallen the entire way, dropping over three rocky crags, yet remarkably sustaining only relatively minor injuries.
The rescue team, alerted to their error by the 36-year old's climbing companions, headed back down the slope of 3,589ft Sgurr Choinnich Mor to ferry him to hospital.