A training exercise turned into a real rescue for Lake District mountain rescue teams this week.
Keswick Mountain Rescue were alerted by one of their own team members after a search dog handler significantly injured their leg during an evening training exercise.
The team said it was an example of the day most mountain rescuers dread – being rescued themselves.
Keswick’s team were carrying out the training with the Lake District Mountain Rescue Search dogs team in Brandlehow Woods, above Derwentwater, at 7.22pm on Tuesday May 20.
The dog handler and mountain rescue member from a neighbouring team slipped on a greasy slab of rock, which teams said was caused by rainfall.
The man’s fall caused him to suffer a significant lower leg injury, so dogs were returned to their vehicles and rescue efforts began.
Luckily, as the man was surrounded by both volunteers that hide in the woods to help train the dogs to find real people in need of rescue and dog handlers – the team member quickly received help.
A few called out Keswick team members also provided medical assistance and stretchered the man back to the road for onward transfer to hospital.
A spokesperson said: “We wish the casualty a quick recovery and hope to see both man and dog back on the hill soon!
“Our team is 100 per cent funded through donations. Often when we go out on a rescue, people tell us they’d like to buy us a coffee or a pint, which is much appreciated!
“For good reason however, we cannot use your mountain rescue donations towards social events such as a trips to the pub.
‘Buy me a coffee’ allows us to have a small social fund so that the team can get together outside of rescues or training. If you’d like to donate to this fund please follow the link.
“Alternatively you can continue to donate in the normal way.”
The rescue involved 34 team members – but many did not deploy from the rescue base – and lasted one hour and 38 minutes.
