Incident Reports 2013

A solo male phoned for help after becoming lost between Langdale and Grasmere. It proved very difficult to locate him, but eventually we worked out where he was. With some guidance by phone he was able to find a way down to Grasmere before it went dark. This was a little unfortunate, because he'd parked his car in Langdale. A smartphone, and the torch and a photo of a map from a book stored on the same phone don't constitute adequate navigation equipment.

A man and a dog were reported as being in the River Rothay in Ambleside. The dog managed to get back out of the water, but the man was swept away. A search was organised, involving Police, Ambulance, Fire Service, Lake Wardens and Coastguard. Sadly, he was located, deceased, in the water some time later. Early suggestions that he was trying to rescue the dog can't be corroborated.

A 92 year old male was reported overdue from one of his regular walks on Loughrigg. A search was organised but he was located having made his way to a private house, having taken a small fall and suffered a minor head injury. He was treated by paramedics and the team was stood down.

A woman sustained a knee injury while descending Nab Scar. She was treated by team members and stretchered from the fell

We were just drawing the previous incident to a conclusion when we were called to attend a solo male walker who had suffered a lower leg injury in the Bright Beck area. He was treated by team members, assisted by Kendal MRT and evacuated to an air ambulance that had also attended

A despondent male was reported as in danger in the Grasmere area. His car had been located by police, so acting on information provided by them, we searched a number of locations between Grasmere and Sergeant Man. He was located on the path coming down from Easedale Tarn. He was escorted the remainder of the way down and handed over to police for safekeeping.

Three intrepid explorers went exploring, at 4pm. But without a map or torch.. so when it went dark they had to stop exploring because there was nothing to see... including the way down... we went a showed them the way... I hope they won't make the same mistake again.. 

While searching for the missing man from the previous rescue, another call came in from two more people who had become benighted at an unspecific location. They had no real idea where they where, but thanks to a bit of web based jiggery pokery we were able to locate them with technology. They were then hunted down by humans and escorted from the fell

A man phoned for help after losing his map and getting lost. He was able to give a detailed description of his route and he was located fairly quickly in the Mart Crag Moor area by team members. He was assisted off the fell down to Langdale.

A lone female walker became disorientated while walking in the Bowfell/Crinkle Crag area... attempts were made to contact and locate her, and she eventually made contact, having found The Band, and was making her own way off.

A man was reported as having failed to return from a walk from the previous day. We were in the early stages of organising a search when he turned up.

A man slipped while descending Wansfell. He suffered a fractured kneecap! Ouch!! Treated, and evacuated by stretcher

The team was called to assist a multi-agency response to rescue a woman from her car, that had rolled 150 metres down steep ground and come to rest on its side. The lone female passenger was seriously injured. All agencies worked together to extricate her and evacuate her to a point from where she was winched into a Seaking helicopter from RAF Boulmer and flown to RVI, Newcastle.

The team were requested check the welfare of the passengers of a vehicle reported as stranded on Wrynose Pass. They were checked, and were OK, so recovery of them and their vehicle was arranged.

A woman slipped and sustained a fracture to her lower leg. She was treated by team members and evacuated to an ambulance at the roadside

A 19-year-old woman became cragfast on steep ground above Dungeon Ghyll, suffering a panic attack in the process. She was retrieved by team members and assisted down.

The team assisted NWAS paramedics with the evacuation of a woman from the lake shore near Wray Castle. She had taken a tumble and sustained a head injury which left her dazed and confused. She was stretchered to an ambulance for onward transport to hospital.

We were called to assist a female with poss broken ankle. We did.. she was treated and airlifted to hospital in Lancaster

A man was reported as having fallen and suffered a head injury. He was evacuated to an air ambulance and taken to hospital.

The team's dog handlers were on their regular Thursday night training session at Red Screes, when they encountered a woman who had slipped and sustained a lower leg injury. She was treated and evacuated to the road for onward transport to hospital

We were requested to assist NWAS paramedics evacuate a woman who had slipped and sustained an ankle injury near Miller Ground, Windermere

A 65-year-old male was reported as collapsed on the path up to Grizedale Tarn. We quickly confirmed that it was the Tongue Ghyll and set off. We were notified that an air ambulance was on its way from Newcastle. We both arrived at the same time. He was noticably dehydrated, and was likely suffering from drinking lake water earlier in the day. The man was treated with fluids and then stretchered to the air ambulance and evacuated to hospital.

A young male collapsed while walking with his school. The team were called and we quickly identified this as a very serious incident. It was known that an RAF helicopter was in the area training with Wasdale MRT. It was immediately requested to assist, which it did. One of the groups teachers was carrying out CPR when they arrived, and he was quickly evacuated to West Cumberland Infirmary. Sadly, the young man died several days later, despite the best efforts of all involved.

A young woman slipped on wet rock and injured her knee. The team was called and she was treated and evacuated to an ambulance

A woman, on a birthday celebration weekend with her husband, slipped and sustained an ankle injury. The team was called and she was evacuated by air ambulance. But hey! She got a helicopter ride as a birthday surprise!!

A man slipped while walking near Sweden Bridge. He sustained a painful arm injury. He was treated and evacuated by air ambulance to RLI.

The team were called when two climbers fell from Long Scar, nr Three Shires Stone. One sustained serious multiple injuries, the other, although seemingly badly injured at the time, suffered no serious injury. Two air ambulances, and an RAF Seaking attended, and with all parties pulling together, the two were stabilised and flown to the Royal Victoira Infirmary. Kendal MRT also attended.. there's always a back up plan, in case the weather clags in and the helicopters can't fly.

A man injured his leg when he slipped near Rydal Cave. The team was called, and he was evacuated to an ambulance parked on a nearby road.

A 25-year-old mountain biker fell and sustained a head injury. He was treated by team members and evacuated to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle by RAF helicopter

While still dealing with the previous incident, a second one ocurred. This one was dealt with by team members who had liberated themselves from the first incident, along with team members from Kendal and Wasdale MRT.

A woman was reported as being unable to continue following an injury to her knee. The team attended, along with the air ambulance. She was treated by their paramedic and evacuated to the helicopter with help from a number of team members. While this incidemt was in progress a second ocurred...

A man slipped on wet ground and sustained a lower leg injury. It wasn't easy to locate him, since he had no map or other means of determining his position. He did have a pamphlet describing his walk, and luckily the weather was clear, so we could spot him once we were in the area. He wasn't anywhere close to a path when he was located.

The team was called to assist a man with a leg injury on Post Knott, Bowness. We duly assisted.

A 60-year-old man started to suffer from hypothermia. His companions got him changed in to dry cloths and two sleeping bags and called the team. The team set off on foot, and an air ambulance was able to attend, reaching the man ahead of the team. He was evacuated from the hill by air ambulance to the valley, where he was met by the team and evacuated the rest of the way. This is the second instance of hypothermia we've dealt with this week. Don't be fooled by the word 'summer'!!

A 17-year-old female succumbed to hypothermia near Red Tarn. The team was called and she was located, and checked over. Following rewarming, it was possible to walk her off. Her two companions had also started to suffer between the first call and the team arriving, so they were checked out and assisted from the hill also. They had given an accurate description of their location, but the grid reference was 3km out. Although their personal equipment was inadequate for the conditions, they did have the good sense to put a tent up and take shelter in it.

The team was called to assist a mountain biker who had fallen off their bike. The grid reference and physical description placed the incident on the Coffin Route behind Nab Cottage. We were unable to locate the casualty in this location, and where then informed that ambualnce paramedics had located the casualty on the other side of the road and lake, and that they were able to walk down with some assistance. It remains a mystery how this confusion about the loctaion arose and it's fortunate that injuries were not more serious...

A women sustained an ankle injury near the summit of Hart Crag. She was treated by team members and evacuated by stretcher. We were assisted by Kendal MRT on the long evacuation. While this rescue was in progress, we were called to two other rescues. It was a long day...

The team was called to assist the evacuation of a male walker who had sustained a leg injury on the lower section of the path behind the Stickle Barn pub

A 15-year-old male was reported seperated from a group on the Cumbria Way in Langdale. A hasty search was organised. While team members were deploying he turned up at the Stickle Barn pub, having detoured up to Stickle Tarn and been pointed back to the valley floor by people up there...

A woman phoned for help after becoming benighted on very steep ground on Helm Crag. She didn't actually know she was on Helm Crag either! A search and some detective work ensued and she was located and recovered from the crag. She was returned to her accommodation and locked safely inside for the rest of the night...

It's possible that she would have made life easier for herself if she'd not been wearing fashion footwear and had taken her sunglasses off..!

A man slipped and suffered a suspected lower leg fracture close to Rydal Cave. We are able to get very close to this location with our 4WD vehilce, so it's unlikely too much sweat was produced during this rescue. The man was evacuated to a waiting ambulance back at the road head.

Two women reported themselves in difficulty in the Tongue Ghyll/Grizedale Tarn area. One of them was very cold. After having intermittent contact with them, a search was organised. We managed to work out their direction of travel, since their survival blanket had ripped and was useless and they had decided to move again. They were located at Grizedale Hause, having accidentally gone up Fairfield, as we're on their way down again (although they were unaware of this!!)

A man was reported as feeling unwell and disorienated while walking near Troutbeck. He was located by the team and transferred to an ambulance.

A woman slipped on steep, frozen ground and sustained a painful, suspected lower leg fracture. She was treated by team members and then stretchered down over some pretty tricky terrain. She was transferred to an ambulance at our base and trabsported to hospital.

The team were requested to assist Coniston MRT with a rescue above Levers Water where three women had succumbed to hypothermia. Specifically, our Autopulse portable CPR device was requested. Thankfully it wasn't required and all three were airlifted to hospital by RAF Boulmer.

We were requested to assist the ambulance service with the evacuation of a male with a knee injury on Post Knott

A couple where unable to find their way off Steel Fell due to snow, mist and darkness. We located them, assisted by Search Dog Kitt, and escorted them off

Reports if shouts for help we're reported over a long period from Pike O'Blisco. Police asked the team to check the situation. We investigated, but nothing was found.

We were requested to assist police in recovering people stranded on a snowbound road.

A man was reported as having fallen on The Band. Unfortunately the group were off-route due to a navigational error and were located on horrible steep ground on the east face of Crinkle Crags. The man's inuries, sadly, were fatal. His body was recovered, and his companions were assisted from the hill in a protracted and difficult rescue. We were assisted by Kendal MRT and a helicopter from RAF Valley made valiant efforts to assist, but cloud base and wind condition meant it was of limited use. These few words to little justice to the difficulty of this rescue.