Incident Reports 1975

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Incident Report #37 1975

A 41 year old woman from Oldham became benighted at Rossett Ghyll after setting out from Borrowdale at 3 p.m. to walk to Langdale. The team with two dogs searched from Stake Pass to Angle Tarn and Rossett Ghyll and the woman was found at 3.30 a.m. the next morning, 29th December, half way up Rossett Ghyll. She was unharmed. Footnote: This woman started from Borrowdale alone to do a four hour walk at 3 p.m. — with one hour of daylight left, and her fell walking experience should have told her not to attempt such a foolish thing.

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Incident Report #36 1975

A 14 year old schoolboy from Wigan slipped and fell on wet grass, at Black Crag, Great Langdale. He sustained a severely lacerated leg and mild exposure, and the team carried him down the fell on a stretcher and then he was taken to the doctor's surgery for treatment. Footnote: If a weather forecast had been sought before this party set off, they might never have been at 1500 feet where this accident happened. Only low level walks should have been attempted on this day — a matter of simple common sense. The weather was cold and very wet with low mist.

Incident Type

Incident Report #34 1975

A 31 year old woman from Ambleside was reported missing after she went walking with her two pet dogs about 3 p.m. earlier that day. She was found dead at Ivy Crag, Loughrigg at 1.00 p.m. the following day, 10th October. Her body was flown by helicopter to Ambleside by R.A.F. Boulmer. Footnote: The team searched throughout the night in very bad conditions and were joined at first light by Coniston M.R.T. and the Search Dog Association.
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Incident Report #33 1975

A 46 year old man from Keighley collapsed and died on Thunacar Knott, Langdale. A helicopter from R.A.F. Acklington was called but not required. The body was carried down the fell by the team. Footnote: The helicopter was called out to assist on information received before the team set off up the hill. Two rescues were taking place at the same time (no.32). The weather was dull, dry but cold on the tops.
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Incident Report #31 1975

A 51 year old man from Redditch collapsed with a heart attack at Stickle Tarn, Langdale, his condition was very serious and both team doctors decided that a helicopter would be the best form of evacuation to hospital. Footnote: Once again R.A.F. Acklington made the rescue journey easy in a situation where a stretcher carry could have been too long and exhausting for the sick man. The weather was fairly good, with intermittent low mist, and dull at times.
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Incident Report #30 1975

A 53 year old woman from Solihull slipped on a footpath in Mill Ghyll, Langdale, and fractured her left ankle. She was carried down the fell on a stretcher and taken to hospital in Kendal. Footnote: Her footwear (flat soft soled shoes) could have been the cause of her slipping. She had no intention of walking on the felts. The weather was fine, warm and dry.
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Incident Report #29 1975

A 19 year old rock climber from Coventry slipped and fell off a foot-path at White Ghyll, Langdale after completing his rock climb. He sustained a broken left leg. The team carried him down the fell on a stretcher and then he was taken to hospital in Kendal. Footnote: In common with nearly all accidents involving climbers this year, the rock climb had been completed safely, but the descent is proving to be an accident habit. The weather was warm clear and dry.
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Incident Report #28 1975

An apprentice soldier aged 17 years from Poole slipped and fell 60 feet on Gimmer Crag, Langdale whilst descending after a rock climb, he sustained multiple injuries to head and spine. The team doctor called for an R.A.F. helicopter from Acklington to fly the injured boy to hospital from the crag. Footnote: Once again the accident happened after the completion of a climb. The weather was warm, dry, clear and sunny.
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Incident Report #27 1975

A search of Tongue Ghyll, Grasmere was made by team members and two search dogs after four young boys had heard whistle blasts and seen a yellow coloured coat high on the fells. After three hours the search was called off and nothing was found. Footnote: There was no explanation for the whistles, but the yellow coloured coat could have been a sheep which had been sheared and newly dyed. However, the team did by chance find four school girls from Blackpool as they were leaving the fell coming down from Grisedale Tarn.
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Incident Report #25 1975

A 50 year old man from Falmouth slipped on wet rocks and fractured his ankle at Rest Gill, Langdale. The team carried him down on a stretcher and he was taken to hospital in Kendal. Footnote: This accident happened at 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, but the team was not called out until 8.30 p.m. — some 5 hours later. The reason for this delay is a mystery both to the police and the team, but his walking companion tried to get help from some friends in the area.
Incident Type

Incident Report #24 1975

A 17 year old youth from Merseyside fell about 40 feet whilst he was under instruction during an abseil. The belay point did not hold, and he sustained spinal and leg injuries and lacerations. He was carried down the fell on a stretcher and taken to hospital in Kendal. Footnote: This was an accident that should never have happened, because this novice should have had a safety top rope whilst under instruction. The weather was warm, with clear skies, and dry.
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Incident Report #23 1975

A 15 year old boy collapsed with exhaustion and migraine at the summit of Stake Pass, Langdale. The team carried the boy, who came from Thetford, Norfolk, down the fell on a stretcher and he was treated by the team doctor before being allowed home. Footnote: This group had been well trained to cope with mishaps on the fells, and they did everything correctly. The weather was overcast with rain at times and the ground was very wet underfoog.
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Incident Report #22 1975

A search was made of Easedale Tarn and surrounding crags after a party of five had heard 'cries for help'. Team members with three dogs from the Search and Rescue Association searched but found nothing. The search was called off at 3.30 a.m. on 2nd July. Footnote: Once again nothing was found, and it was a false alarm with good intent. The weather was warm, dry and clear.
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Incident Report #21 1975

A novice rock climber aged 22 from Berwick-orv Tweed slipped and fell about 15 feet into a gulley on Raven Crag, Langdale. She sustained a broken leg and the team carried her down on a stretcher and she was taken to hospital at Kendal. Footnote: This was a well equipped climbing party under very good supervision, and the incident was a genuine accident. The weather was very warm, clear and sunny and dry.
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Incident Report #19 1975

A 15 year old youth from Westhoughton near Bolton sustained a severely lacerated foot after paddling in Stickle Tarn, Langdale. The team carried him down the fell on a stretcher and he was treated by a team doctor in Ambleside. Footnote: This seemed to be a well-led party. One lesson we are learn¬ing is that the tarns and becks are becoming dangerous places to paddle and swim in because some people use them as rubbish tips. The weather was clear, very warm and dry.
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Incident Report #18 1975

A 15 year old schoolgirl from Stainforth, Yorkshire, slipped and fell on a steep slope at Troutbeck Park, Windermere. She suffered a suspected fractured femur, was carried down on a stretcher assisted by the Tweed Valley M.R.T. from Galashiels. She was taken to hospital in Kendal. Footnote: The school party seemed to be well organised and equipped. The weather was clear, dry and sunny.
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Incident Report #16 1975

A massive search was put into operation when a holidaymaker from London was reported missing from a Grasmere Hotel. Mountain rescue teams from Cumbria, Yorkshire, Lancashire as well as the R.A.F. Search and Rescue Dog Association and an R.A.F. helicopter from Acklington took part. The missing man was found dead at the bottom of Pavey Ark, Langdale at 3.30 p.m. the same day by one of the rescue parties. Footnote: There were 320 mountain rescue personnel and helpers on the hills by 11.00 a.m.
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Incident Report #15 1975

A 24 year old fell runner from Oswaldtwistle who was competing in the Fairfield Horseshoe race slipped and fell at High Pike, Ambleside and broke his ankle. A contingent of the Langdale/Ambleside team joined with Kendal to bring him down the fell on a stretcher and he was treated by a local doctor. Footnote: This is one of the very few times that a fell runner has come to grief, and the standards and equipment of these runners is first class and there are stringent safety rules which are observed. However, accidents do happen from time to time.
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Incident Report #14 1975

A search was mounted by the team when a local woman, aged 46, from Grasmere was reported missing in the Grasmere area. She was found by the team in a field unharmed but suffering from severe shock at 6 p.m. on the same day. Footnote: This was not a fellwalking or climbing call-out. The weather was clear, warm and sunny.
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Incident Report #12 1975

A 28 year old rock climber from Bury fell 20 feet while leading on Billberry Buttress, Raven Crag, Langdale. He sustained pelvic, back and arm injuries. He was carried down the fell on a stretcher and then taken to the County Hospital, Kendal. Footnote: This accident occured on the rock face. It is not clear if this climber had any runners on, but information at the time indicated he had not. The weather was warm, with sunshine, and the rock was dry.
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Incident Report #11 1975

A 21 year old rock climber from Prescot was found by a friend after descending from a crag at White Ghyll, Langdale. It is thought that he had fallen about 100 feet. He died on the crag of multiple injuries despite the fight for his life made by the team doctor and team members for over an hour. His body was brought down the fell by stretcher. Footnote: Most of the team knew this young man personally. The accident remains a mystery, as nobody was with him during his descent from the crag. The weather was dry, turning to heavy rain with winds later, and ground conditions were wet.
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Incident Report #10 1975

Two 15 year old girls walking with adult supervision collapsed with severe exposure on the summit of Helvellyn. Both girls were carried down the mountain on stretchers by the combined forces of the Patterdale and Langdale/Ambleside teams. Both girls were taken to hospital at Kendal. Footnote: This incident was a complete disgrace. The weather was freezing above 1800 feet, the mist was low and there was snow on higher parts of the mountain. These children had no equipment or proper clothing for such a 'walk'.
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Incident Report #9 1975

A search was made of Loughrigg Fell, Ambleside, after two white flares had been seen high on the fell, by people living in Ambleside. A search was made by team members with search dogs. The search was called off at 2.45 a.m. on 18th February and nothing was found. Footnote: Once again, reports of flares remain unsolved and are proving to be a mystery. The weather was misty with drizzle and the ground was very wet.
Incident Type

Incident Report #8 1975

An 18 year old boy from Pendlebury, Manchester, slipped and fell 30 feet on to a ledge and became crag fast. The team lowered him 60 feet to safety, and although he was uninjured, he was treated for shock. Footnote: This young man was very lucky because he could have fallen another 60-100 feet but for the ledge. The weather was cold, fairly clear, with occasional snow showers.
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Incident Report #7 1975

A 16 year old schoolboy from Winsford collapsed on Pike Howe, Langdale, with exhaustion during a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award practice expedition. The Team carried him down the fell on a stretcher, assisted by R.A.F. Leeming. He was treated by the team doctor and allowed to go home with his teachers. Footnote: This party was not at fault in any way, but there is a possibility that the boy's pack was overweight for him to carry. The weather was misty with drizzle, and ground conditions were wet.
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Incident Report #6 1975

A 20 year old man from Nantwich slipped and fell about 150 feet in a gulley on Raven Crag, Langdale whilst descending after finishing a rock climb. He was carried off the crag by stretcher suffering from multiple injuries. The team assisted R.A.F. Learning who had already started the carry down. He was taken to the County Hospital, Kendal. Footnote: This accident happened whilst this climber was descending. This is not an uncommon occurence with rock climbers. The weather was fine, dry, but dull.
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Incident Report #5 1975

A man raised the alarm for five missing people from Warrington who were overdue in Langdale. The team had just started to search the intended route when the missing group turned up at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale. Two of the party had sprained ankles, which were treated by the team doctor. Footnote: The weather conditions were poor, with low mist and intermittent rain and it was dark. The party had no idea of map reading and had walked five miles out of their way before they found themselves, by pure chance, in the Langdale Valley.
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Incident Report #4 1975

The team searched Lang Howe and Raw Pike areas {Grasmere and Langdale sides) after local residents at Grasmere had seen two white flares high on the fells. The search was called off at 11.00 p.m. and nothing was found. Footnote: The weather was very good, with clear skies. This was a false alarm with good intent.
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Incident Report #3 1975

Twelve team members assisted the Yorkshire Dales teams at Grassington Yorkshire, for a missing boy lost on the moors for two days. The boy was found safe and well at 10.30 a.m. on 13th February, walking members of the Langdale/Ambleside M.R.T. Footnote: This young boy had started out to meet up with a larger group who had set out earlier.
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Incident Report #2 1975

A 17 year old youth from Gloucester was carried down by stretcher after collapsing on Harrison Stickle (2,000') suffering from severe exposure. The latest exposure hot air treatment (REVIVA) method was used for the first time by the team. The youth recovered later, but without Reviva his life would have been in grave danger. Footnote: Once again the party was not equipped for the severe conditions encountered. Severe snow storms became blizzards with gale force winds and ice at 1300 feet and above. There was a complete whiteout for 45 minutes at 1800 feet.
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Incident Report #1 1975

A search was made of Far Easedale, Whythburn Ghyll, Easedale Tarn, Stake Pass and Greenup Edge, for four fell walkers who were walking from Keswick to Grasmere over the fells. All four were found safe at Steel End, Armboth at 10.30 a.m. on 2nd January. Coniston M.R.T. assisted. Footnote: These walkers were ill equipped in every detail. They started off too late in the afternoon for such a walk, added to which the weather conditions were very poor — low mist, with intermittent rain, and fast running becks in full flood.
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