Fellwalking

Two groups, one of 4 and one of 5 and part of the same organisation, set off separately from Wasdale to walk to Langdale. One of the groups contacted friends at about 6.30pm from Scafell summit. Both groups were reported overdue at 11.30pm. A search was organised involving ourselves, Wasdale MRT, and a number of search dogs. They were located at 5am, having come together and walked out to Brotherilkeld. Another Three Peaks walk bites the dust(or mud, given the weather).

A group descending came across a 68-year-old man who had sustained a leg injury during a fall. They called or help and we treated the man and evacuated him from the fell.

We were requested to assist Cumbria Ambulance Service to evacuate a casualty with a leg injury from Orrest Head.

A man was reported as suffering a head injury near the tarn. We set off up the hill, but the man out-flanked us and made his own way to the car park. We went home.

Reports of shouts for help were heard in the Far Easedale area. An investigation found only a shepherd gathering sheep. False alarm with good intent.

While also involved in the previous search, we were alerted to a family separated at Three Tarns. Two were unaccounted for. Resources were diverted from the previous search, but the missing people turned up at Cockley Beck before becoming too much of a distraction.

Search for a family lost in mist on Crinkle Crags. Located about 9.30 near Rest Ghyll and returned to the valley. Assisted by SARDA

We were requested to assist the ambulance service in reaching a man who was suffering chest pains while walking. He was evacuated to hospital by ambulance, but sadly, later died.

We were requested by Keswick MRT to assist them with a casualty with a serious head injury at Esk Hause. A helicopter had been requested, but there was some doubt as to its availability. Team members were just about to set off from the end of Mickleden when we were notified that helicopter from RN Gannet had picked up the injured person and taken them to hospital.

A 15 year old girl sustained a knee injury while walking as part of a group. She was treated and evacuated to an ambulance.

A man, walking Coast to Coast, became unable to continue after aggravating an old knee injury and becoming exhausted. He was treated for pain and evacuated from the fell.

A male and female went a little off-route and the woman slipped, falling about 5 metres, suffering a kneecap dislocation and lower spinal injuries. She was stabilised at the site, given pain relief and then airlifted to Carlisle by RAF Boulmer.

A woman sustained a hip or pelvic injury when she slipped on the path near Gibson Knott. They attempted to walk off, but the lady was in too much pain. The team was called out, and the lady was stretchered down to the valley for onward transport to hospital.

A group of 5 became stuck in what they describes as a 'white-out'. After speaking to them their priorities seemed to lie with maintaining a good mobile phone signal, rather than getting off the hill. They were persuaded otherwise, and after following directions, located Three Tarns and found their way down to Langdale.

A group of 6 managed to find their way onto Bowfell, while trying to navigate from Scafell Pike, back to Seathwaite, Borrowdale. With the aid a car sat-nav which gave a position in latitude/longitude, which we converted to OSGB and establish where they where, they were guided by phone to the top of The Band, from where they found their way down to Langdale.

A woman tripped sustained a suspected broken nose and a lower leg injury. Team members were airlifted up by Great North Air Ambulance, the woman was treated and carried uphill to the waiting helicopter. She was evacuated Royal Lancaster Infirmary. inapropriate footwear may have been a factor.

A 16-year-old male sustained a lower leg injury. He was treated and stretchered down to the valley.

A woman slipped and sustained an ankle injury near the outflow of Stickle Tarn. We attended, splinted her ankle and she was airlifted to West Cumberland Hospital by air ambulance.

A woman was reported as having a suspected lower leg fracture on the descent from Red Tarn to Oxendale. She was treated by team members and evacuated to Ambleside for transport to hospital.

As we stretchered casualty 37 to Three Tarns we encountered three men on their slow and painful way down from Scafell Pike. One of them was suffered severe pain in his knee and was struggling. Already a little busy, we left a couple of Kendal team members with him. They strapped the knee, administered pain relief and started the very slow walk down. Once we'd got the previous casualty safely to the valley, another stretcher was organised and team members started the long, sweaty haul back up.

A woman sustained a suspected fractured ankle near the top of Gunson Knott. It was a long, hot haul up to assist her. Kendal MRT were called to help because of the lengthy evacuation. As is often the case things became complicated when incident 38 occurred before we'd finished.

A couple phoned for help after becoming lost on Fairfield. Attempts to talk them down appeared to have failed, but we were fairly certain they were heading down to Patterdale. Patterdale MRT were requested to assist, as were SARDA. They were located just above Hartsop above How. They had a torch and compass, but were struggling to navigate with any certainty.

A solo female walker suffered a suspected dislocated ankle near Easedale Tarn. The team was mobilised and two team members were picked up and taken to the scene by air ambulance. The woman was treated and loaded in to the helicopter for onward transport to hospital.

A woman collapsed fainting and vomiting. The team attended, treated her and evacuated her back to Ambleside.

A request from a a member of another team to assist while waiting for an ambulance to arrive to aid a man who had fallen a short distance from the road and suffered a suspected arm fracture and shoulder dislocation.

We were requested to assist a woman who had sustained a knee injury near Gibson Knott. A few remaining team members were dispatched to start this rescue, with backup provided by Kendal MRT..<br /><br />...Having completed this rescue, it became obvious that the earlier one was not going to be easy. Having gained access to the ledge, it was proving very difficult to extract the woman without inflicting masses of pain. Kendal MRT had joined us to assist and the specialist expertise on rock removal was requested from Clapham based Cave Rescue Organisation.

A group of five youths set off late to climb Scafell from Langdale. They were warned by people in the valley about their late start, but chose to ignore the advise. They phoned for help around 5am, having become lost, cold and very distressed. It was a combined effort by Wasdale MRT, Kendal MRT, ourselves and a helicopter from RAF Valley. They were located by Wasdale team members near Cowcove Beck, 3km south of Scafell and airlifted to Furness General Hospital for treatment for hypothermia.

A man phone to say he was cragfast. Speaking to him suggested that he might be on Heron Pike. We were able to determine that he was probably on a north facing slope. After a prolonged search involving 4 mountain rescue teams and 2 SARDA dogs, he was located on very steep ground below Hart Crag. He was very cold and very stuck. He was evacuated up to better ground and then escorted off. The weather was very poor, being very wet and windy. Many other parties were encountered abandoning their routes, some of whom were heading in the wrong direction.

Sometimes you take people's word for things and other times you have reason to distrust them. A man reported his friend as having sustained a suspected fractured ankle near the summit of Fairfield. In fact just a few hundred metres south of the summit. Maybe it was that the man didn't have a map, or maybe it was the description of a location near a wall, but something made us doubtful that he knew what he was talking about. We located them just below the summit of High Pike and the injured man was treated by team members.