More than £40,000 has been raised to help replace Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team’s life-saving boat.
The team launched a £48,000 appeal to replace the John Scott, a rigid inflatable boat, which the team use on Ullswater and is also used in flooding incidents.
It has been in service for 14 years and is deteriorating after much hard use.
A team spokesman said: “Thanks to generous recent donations, we’ve just £8,000 to go on our new rescue boat appeal.
“This will enable us to replace Patrick Scottie, our current rib, and there’ll be a new boat out on Ullswater, transporting team members and kit across the lake and supporting our local community.”
The John Scott rigid inflatable boat, known as Patrick Scottie, fulfils two essential functions – it is the team’s means of rapid transport to emergencies on the eastern (Howtown) side of Ullswater, and its primary rescue vehicle for incidents on the lake and in floods.
The spokesman added: “Many of our rescues are on the far shore of Ullswater from our Rescue Centre in Patterdale.
“On this eastern shore, road vehicles either cannot reach the incident site at all or, especially at busy times, cannot reach casualties quickly enough.
“We are also seeing a significant number of callouts related to water sports with the growing popularity of wild swimming, paddle-boarding and canoeing.
“Using a boat is the most effective way of transporting team members, equipment and casualties, and can be, quite literally, life-saving.
“Scottie has also proved invaluable in the local area and also county-wide in periods of severe flooding.
“It has allowed the team to help local people who needed rescuing and supported the delivery of essential medicines and provisions.
“Our current rescue boat is named after the former chairman of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and founder of our supporters’ club, John Scott.
“Scottie has been in service for 14 years and the boat and its trailer-transporter are deteriorating after much hard use.
“We need to replace this vital Team resource and are seeking to raise £48,000 with a new rescue boat appeal.”
