The Team went to the assistance of a 33 year old climber from London who was left hanging free from the rock when his abseil rope fouled up in his harness. Climber trying to recover "Runners" from "Haste not Direct". Taken off crag unhurt.
A novice climber aged 17 from Newcastle-upon-Lyme and wearing E.B. Rockbootsfell90' from "Holly Tree Traverse" during heavy rain. He sustained collar bone, rib and arm fractures. Leader of group tried to walk the casualty down, but called Team as casualties condition rapidly deteriorated.
A 22 year old student from Glasgow University fell 80' whilst leading the route "Astra". He sustained head and chest injuries and was flown to Lancaster Infirmary by R.A.F. Boulmer. The second climber suffered burns to both hands and was escorted down.
The Team were called when a 18 year old soldier from Merseyside fell 40ft. and suffered FATAL injuries whilst abseiling. The belay point, one small 'Nut Sling', pulled out of crack. NO safety rope or helmet used.
A search was mounted after a report of cries for help had been heard above Mickleden. Team searched 'til 1.00 a.m. Nothing found.
A 55 year old man from Cheshire sustained a fractured tib/fib of his right leg, whilst descending gulley after completing climb.
The Team were called to assist a crag fast climber. Top roped off by Local Climbers, before Rescue Personnel arrived at the Crag.
A 24 year old male from Leicester fell 250ft. to the base of the crag and sustained severe head, spinal, pelvic and leg injuries.
The Team went to recover the body of a 24 year old man from Manchester who had slipped while descending the grass footpath after finishing his rock climb. He fell 200'.
Footnote: This man had "E.B.s" (a smooth soled rock boot) on which could have been the cause of him to fall. It was later learned that he was a novice climber.
Weather Conditions: Cold, Wet, Rain at times. Wet Rock.
The Team were called out to a 20 year old man from Huyton, Liverpool who had become "cragfast" so had jumped down 10' to a ledge, missed and fell. He sus¬tained a fractured left leg.
Footnote: Passing walkers found this injured man, which was very lucky for him. He was walking solo off the path and in very bad conditions. Weather Conditions: Torrential Rain, Very Low Mist, Wet Rocks, etc.
A 27 year old woman from Sheffield fell about 60ft. while leading a pitch and the Belay failed. She sustained knee, thigh and pelvic injuries. Footnote: Her "second" failed to arrest her fall due to Belay failure.
Weather Conditions: Wet Rock, Dull, Rain, Cold.
A 13 year old schoolboy from Stockport, who was under instruction, fell 60 ft. on Lower Scout Crag, Langdale. He sustained head and spinal injuries. The team carried him down on a stretcher and then to Hospital in Kendal.
Footnote: The 'Whillans' harness, which the boy had on, came undone, was not fitted correctly.
A 20 year old man from Glossop fell 70 ft. whilst leading a pitch on Pavey Ark, Langdale. He fell into Easy Gulley sustaining head and spinal injuries.The team lowered him down on a stretcher then carried to Stickle Tarn where RAF Boulmer flew him to Whitehaven Hospital.
Footnote: A hand hold gave way and there were no runners on, he also elected not to wear a helmet. From report and his friends he was a competent climber.
A 14 year old schoolboy from Haywards Heath sustained serious head, face and internal injuries when under climbing instruction. It appeared a large rock hit the boy on the head. The team sent every piece of medical equipment up to the accident. The boy was carried by stretcher to Tarn Crag where RAF Boulmer picked the boy and team doctor up. Flown to Carlisle Hospital.
Footnote: This is where the teams medical equipment proved its worth. The resucitation equipment proved to be a sound investment.
A 16 year old youth from Cromer fell about 30 ft. while leading the first pitch on Upper Scout Crag, Langdale. He received head and leg injuries and was conveyed down the fell on a stretcher and then by ambulance to Kendal Hospital.
Footnote: The rock was "greasy" but the youth elected to wear P.A.'s.
A 28 year old man from Australia was reported missing after he had been rock climbing with friends on Pavey Ark, Langdale. The team was called out, and after a search found him at the bottom of Pavey Ark waiting for his friends.
Footnote: The rest of the team was assisting Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team at the time of recue no. 9.
A couple of 19-year-old climbers from Ambleside became stuck when they got to the top of Middlefell Buttress without torches after 4pm. They were unable to locate the way down. Their shouts for help were heard in the valley bottom. They were assisted by a number of other people in the area, who supplied them with torches, and we escorted them down.
Two climbers became cragfast when their rope got stuck while trying to abseil off their route. The fact that they only started climbing at 19:30 may have had an bearing on their situation. A team member was lowered down to them,
Three men were reported overdue from a climbing trip to Bowfell. Their friend reported them overdue at the pub. He found them when he returned to their tent. We had started to assemble at base, but hadn't gone out on the hill yet.
We received reports of a fallen climber on Pavey Ark. Our investigation revealed only a fallen sheep. It was very dead. You never know what to expect next in mountain rescue.
A woman in her 20s was seconding a climb when she fell off. She fell approximately 15 metres, penduluming into the crag. She sustained a serious head injury, despite her helmet, and injuries to her lower back and ankle. She was treated at the scene and airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle by RAF helicopter. Again we were assisted by Kendal MRT.
A 68-year-old climber set off ahead of his friends on the descent from Bowfell Buttress, supposedly via Three Tarns and the Band. He never arrived back at their campsite in Langdale. He was reported as very experienced, but didn't appear to be very well equipped. As a search was organised, he turned up at Wha House Farm in Eskdale. He seemed to have made an interesting navigational error, having probably turned right at Three Tarns instead of left.
A woman got her foot stuck in a crack on Ash Tree ledge about 100 foot up Gimmer Crag, and was unable to extract herself for in excess of 40 minutes. The team was called, and arrived at the base of the crag to be notified that she had just managed to free herself. She was able to continue the climb with a bruised foot.
A 20-year-old male climber fell from Lower Scout Crag, ripping out all his gear and hitting the ground. He sustained an open fracture to his femur, a broken wrist, two fractures to his arm, a fractured jaw, and head injuries. The left-hand picture, below, shows the severe shortening caused by the femur fracture, and the third picture shows damage to his helmet.
head injury.
We were asked by the Police to investigate flashing lights on Raven Crag. We found a couple of campers and left them to it.
The team was paged to respond to three men who where cragfast on Raven Crag.
A 20 year old man from London fell about 100 ft. while leading a pitch on Raven Crag, Langdale.
A 22-year-old man from Leeds dislocated his knee while climbing Route 2.
A climber hit the ground from about fifteen metres after he fell and his runners failed.
