A brain surgeon and his son have saved a man's life while trying to keep a royal appointment.

Popular neurosurgeon Fred Nath was trekking through the Himalayas on his way to be decorated with the prestigious Suprabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu by the king of Nepal for his contribution to neurosurgery, when he stumbled across an English man on the edge of unconsciousness, suffering severe altitude sickness.

The Middlesbrough-based consultant was taking his son, Alex, 25, with him. Between them they saved the man's life.

While Alex stayed with the sick climber his dad went for life saving drugs, directing the Sherpas to organise a stretcher and carry their patient to the nearest village.

Their route lay down a mountain path above a dizzy steep precipice.

When the sick man had recovered enough to sit on horseback, the Naths and their guides then set out with him to another village which was three hours away - Mr Nath following behind while Alex led the horse in the pitch dark, their way ahead lit only by the light on his headband.

Mr Nath said: "I was very impressed with Alex. He stayed calm and dealt with the situation extremely well. Sadly altitude sickness claims lives every year and these tragedies are entirely preventable."

Alex, a senior house officer at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, commented: "We were amazed to find this guy on his own. It just shows the importance of staying in a group when you're trekking. Anything can happen.

"I'm just glad we were in the right place at the right time for this guy and everything worked out well."

His dad is only the second doctor from outside Nepal ever to be honoured by the King of Nepal in his birthday honours list. A keen trekker, Mr Nath has forged links with Nepal and its people, helping colleagues perform brain surgery and sending medical t to the country.

Mr Nath said: "It wasn't quite what we expected but we worked together well and managed to get him to where he could be flown to safety in Kathmandu.