A climber who broke his back in a fall in Snowdonia thought angels were coming to "take him away".
Ian Flannery, from Wirral , was injured after plunging more that 50ft, breaking two vertebrae and sustaining a large head wound.
After the fall on Thursday afternoon, Mr Flannery, who is in his 30s, thought that rescuers were angels coming up the mountainside.
He told North Wales Live from his hospital bed: "When they rescued me, I thought they were angels, like they were floating up the mountainside to take me away."
Ian's family have written to the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team on their Facebook page to thank them for helping Mr Flannery.
Describing the team as "angels" for risking their own lives, his sister said the family will be "forever in debt" to the team who carried out the seven-hour rescue operation.
Writing to the rescue team, his sister said: "Absolute heroes all of you!
"It was my brother who fell, I can't imagine how scary it must have been up there for him waiting for help with head wounds and what has turned out to be two broken vertebrae - you're all angels for risking your own lives as you do.
"Forever in your debt. He's not great but we all realise how lucky he was.
"He's still in hospital awaiting transfer to another because of his back injuries - he's pretty mortified but he would want to express his gratitude and sincere thanks to all involved in the rescue, as do the rest of the family. Heroes."
CCTV shows fateful moment knife used to stab Eddie O'Rourke was handed to his killer
During the rescue mission, the helicopter was unable to land at the scene of the accident so team members were forced to treat Mr Flannery at the site and then carry him on a stretcher to Bochlwyd where the helicopter could land.
He was then flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd and it is believed he is currently waiting to be transferred to another hospital because of the back injuries he sustained in the fall.
