Rescue teams across the Lake District dealt with dozens of call outs this weekend.
It proved both busy – and stormy – for teams across the county who dealt with a wide range of incidents including stranded wild campers as well as injured, overdue, lost and collapsed walkers.
On Saturday, June 21, teams received multiple call outs across Cumbria from hikers and wild campers who were caught out by the stormy weather, despite well publicised weather warnings.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team said: “There’s not much that will stop a rescue team heading out into the hills.
“Having a metal stretcher strapped to a team members back in a lightning storm is one thing that will delay us from deploying!
“On Saturday night Keswick team stood by at base waiting for the storms to pass before being deployed to help an injured hiker.
“Saturday’s storms that rolled through were forecasted and widely publicised before hand.
“We urge people to use multiple forecasts from Mountain Weather Information Service and Met Office to help the planning of adventures in the mountains. Use AdventureSmart UK & Ireland guidance before you set off into the hills.”
Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were called out four times back to back over the course of the weekend.
The team had to face an urgent call at 3.50am on the Saturday, with another three late call outs running almost continuously from 7.13pm on Saturday until 7.29am on Sunday.
The first incident saw them called out during the early hours of Saturday to Scafell Pike.
Teams were alerted at 3.50am by Cumbria Police to a female walker who was reported to have collapsed and while breathing, was unconscious.
Rescue team members said a PhoneFind search confirmed the walker’s location as very high up the mountain – close to the summit plateau.
Due to the location and urgent nature of the alert, Coastguard helicopter assistance was requested alongside a full team callout. Rescue 936 from Caernarfon duly responded.
The Coastguard paramedic was first on scene and provided medical assessment and treatment.
But assistance from the team was still required to stretcher the walker from the rocky path to the helicopter, which had managed to land some distance away.
After two uplifts of team members and equipment used from Brackenclose, the walker was carefully packaged in a vacuum mattress – a fully body splint – into the team stretcher.
The short carry was completed and the walker was then flown back down to the valley to the awaiting land ambulance for a handover.
Wasdale Mountain Rescue said: “Huge thanks to the crew of Rescue 936 for their help once again, it is much appreciated and saved much time and effort to get everything on scene quickly. We hope the walker recovers quickly and wish her all the best.”
The incident lasted five hours and 26 minutes.
On the same day, the team were later called alongside Keswick Mountain Rescue Team at 7.13pm to assist a group of eight lost walkers – one of which was also injured – near Esk Hause, after they had climbed Scafell Pike.
Teams were contacted by Cumbria Police who said a passing walker had encountered the group.
One had a leg injury and was walking slowly, while the passing walker was heading for Seathwaite, the large group was trying to get back to Hardknott Pass, where their cars were parked.
With mobile communications poor, and the weather deteriorating, the plan was for the whole party to continue to Seathwaite, without any MR team intervention.
After a period of monitoring via PhoneFind searches, the call out was then transferred to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. It was one of several incidents Keswick Mountain Rescue team dealt with over the weekend.
At 11.05pm on Saturday, Wasdale Mountain Rescue received another call from Cumbria Police, after a camper at Brackenclose campsite noticed flashing lights on Scafell Pike.
The team leader made some enquiries, but shortly afterwards the informant confirmed that the lights now seemed to be descending.
The team added that with the additional knowledge that Scafell Pike would have a lot of three peaks challenge walkers on the fell with good mobile reception in this location, it was likely that another call would be easily placed if anyone was in need of help.
The incident was closed, and marked as a false alarm with good intent.
On Sunday, June 22, Wasdale Mountain Rescue team had their fourth call out of the weekend.
The team were called just past midnight by Cumbria Police after a member of a party attempting the three peaks challenge had become separated and was now overdue.
The rest of the group had turned around due to poor weather, but the missing walker wanted to continue on alone.
As time passed with no positive news, the team leader said they became concerned with poor weather and visibility making hypothermia a possibility.
A callout was made, and due to low numbers, extra support from Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team was requested.
Hasty searches took place along all of the access paths to the Scafell Pike summit and blackspots.
As time went on, the team said things were looking more serious, but finally, a call connected to the missing walker.
He was able to share his location and was at Mickledore, near to the stretcher box.
As a search party was heading there already, it wasn’t long before team members were with the walker.
He was cold and wet, but reasonably well prepared with extra layers and food. His technology has failed, leaving him without means of navigation, but he also had a power bank to recharge his phone when it had drained completely.
After a walk back down to the valley floor, he was reunited with the rest of his walking party. The incident lasted six hours and 30 minutes.
Team members said they wearily made their way home after a very busy ‘longest day’ – having been called out early on Saturday morning at 3am and then working almost continuously from 7.13pm on Saturday until 7.29am on Sunday.
Wasdale Mountain Rescue said: “Thanks to Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team for their support once again. In fact, it was a very busy night across the Lake District teams, with neighbouring teams helping out all across the patch to handle many concurrent call-outs.”
Search dog Jess was also back in action on the fells over the weekend, after previously suffering an injury.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team also said it had a busy weekend.
On Sunday, June 22, the team was called out at 11.52pm to three wild campers who had abandoned their tent and become lost on Raise, a fell near Helvellyn.
Initially, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were called out to the trio, but the team requested assistance from Patterdale, due to the fact they were already dealing with a number of similar call outs in their area.
The Patterdale team leader tried to make contact with the campers but initially had no answer.
The campers made contact again at around 1am. They were still on Raise and now taken shelter in their survival bags and were unable to navigate off the mountain without assistance due to the poor visibility and darkness.
A small team responded and located the three campers quickly on the top of Raise and they were assisted off the fell to safety.
The three had been wild camping near the Lake District ski hut, when the bad weather came in they abandoned the tents and got stranded on Raise.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue said: “On the same night there were numerous calls from walkers/wild campers who got themselves in similar predicament, despite the accurate weather warning widely published.
“Advice from the team is to always check the weather forecast – good weather sources are Met Office or Mountain Weather Information Service and be prepared accordingly, knowing how to navigate in adverse weather for when it goes wrong.
“For more help and a wealth of information go to the AdventureSmart website.
“It was great to see several Lakes Mountain Rescue Teams working together last night to deal with the spike in calls, great team work and collaboration! The rescue lasted three and a half hours and involved five team members.”
On top of the busy weekend – the week prior also proved very busy for teams across Cumbria.
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team were called out five times in one afternoon on Thursday, June 19.
The first incident saw them called out in the hot weather to Crummock and Buttermere.
A walker had injured their ankle in close proximity to Gatesgarth. The team splinted the casualty and assisted them to their vehicle to travel onwards to hospital.
The second call out saw the team attend a walker with a head injury near Crummock water. On arrival the individual had recovered sufficiently to make their way back to their vehicle.
The third call out saw the team attend a walker who had fallen 10ft from the lakeshore path.
The call came in before the team had returned from the previous call out. On arrival it was clear the casualty had had a significant bang to the head.
Team members provided first aid and stretchered the individual to the waiting Helimed 58 of the Great North Air Ambulance, which transported the injured walker onward for further treatment.
Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team has also reported a busy period, and has dealt with six incidents and two missing person alerts since last Friday, June 13.
The team faced a range of incidents including injured walkers, which involved one walker who badly cut her leg in Rydal Caves and another who suffered an open fracture, while two other walkers were helped by the team after suffering an ankle injury and an upper arm fracture.
Kendal Mountain Rescue also supported the team with carrying the walker who suffered an open fracture off the fell, due to low team numbers.
Both missing people turned up safe and well in due course.
On Wednesday, June 18, the team was also called out at 8.29pm to a party of eight – of which five were injured – at Angle Tarn.
The team received the alert from Cumbria Police and once the team made initial contact via phone with the party, it was established that they were taking part in a 10 peak charity challenge and were struggling with pre-existing injuries.
Initially, team leadership encouraged them to keep walking and their progress would be monitored.
However, the group had moved approximately 400 to 600 metres in an hour and a half, daylight was disappearing and none of the party had headtorches, a full team callout was initiated.
Team members strolled up Rossett Ghyll, where they met the walkers, who had been out since 7am, and escorted them down to their vehicles, one via stretcher.
The incident lasted four and a half hours.
A spokesperson for the team said: “A huge thank you goes out to Kendal Mountain Search & Rescue Team for their assistance in rescue 62, as well as North West Ambulance Service for rescue 66. We would like to wish all of our casualties a speedy recovery.”
People taking to the fells are urged by the Lake District’s mountain rescue team’s to #BeAdventureSmart and ask themselves the following questions before setting off.
1. Do I have the right gear?
2. Do I know what the weather will be like?
3. Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day?
You can check mountain weather forecasts here and find out more about Adventure Smart here.
You can donate to the Lake District’s Mountain Rescue teams here.
