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 solo male mountain biker was reported overdue after setting off late in the afternoon. Working with Keswick MRT, a search was organised including the bridleways across the central fells, and Greenup Edge, Grasmere. He turned up at his accommodation in Grasmere at about 4am, having had something of an epic day, including a couple of minor falls and a navigational error that meant he returned via Keswick.
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.
Gimmer again! This time for a 62-year-old male who fell while climbing on Gimmer Crag. He fell about 10 metres, breaking his ankle ankle in the process. He was treated and lowered off the crag and then evacuated to the valley floor for onward transport to hospital. It was a fine day for climbing...there's never a good day for falling!
We were contacted to assist a female climber with her leg jammed in a crack on A Route on Gimmer. She wasn't injured, but was well and truly stuck. The team was mobilised and all seemed straight forward until....
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 was reported as collapsed from hypothermia at Three Tarns. He was in a sleeping bag and bivvi bag. The team was dispatched and a helicopter was requested. We were overtaken by the helicopter while on The Band and the casualty was airlifted off.
A woman phoned for help after becoming lost on Crinkle Crags in mist. She was given directions to try and find Three Tarns. Three hours later she had made little or no progress to anywhere useful, and was becoming cold and distressed, so we gave up and sent the team to look for her. She was located at 7pm just north of Long Top and escorted back to civilisation.
A party climbing Jack's Rake came across an abandoned rucsac, with a hot flask and no identification with it. Concerned that someone may have fallen, they informed the Police. We searched around the area, but found nothing. In addition, some people camping at the tarn and who had been there since mid-afternoon, were questioned and reported seeing nothing. The bag is now in the care of the Police, awaiting its owner to claim it.
Lights were reported, stationary for about 2 hours, high on Bowfell. We went to investigate, and found that after observation, the lights reached the summit and started to make their way down The Band. We left at that point, satisfied that the owners of the lights would be able to look after themselves from this point.
A man reported finding a slightly injured dog near Angle Tarn. Concerned that its owner was lying injured somewhere, he phoned the Police. After a discussion, it was decided that it was probably a lost working dog, and if left alone would find its own way home. It seemed unlikely that anyone was injured.
A couple phoned for help when they got lost on Crinkle Crags, after backtracking when they couldn't descend the Bad Step. They were guided to Three Tarns and found their own way off from there.
A man phoned for help after apparently suffering a leg injury near Ore Gap. He was in mist, and not entirely sure of his position. The team was mobilised, and due to the extreme weather that was forecast, we requested assistance from a RAF helicopter. The helicopter managed to get to the man through a break in the mist and lift him off, saving us from having to go all the way up. Despite his leg injury, he managed to walk to the helicopter, and out at the other end, so it would seem that the mist and uncertain location was closer to the real problem.
Two poorly equipped men became stuck somewhere on Crinkle Crags and phoned for help. They only had lightweight fleeces and waterproofs and the weather was as poor as predicted, with very strong winds and heavy rain. They had been heading north to Three Tarns, but having got in to difficulty around the Bad Step, decided to retrace their route to Red Tarn. They then became lost. They were located on Little Stand, some distance from their last known position and very cold and wet. Their evacuation was complicated by their cold and fatigue and a couple of swollen river crossings.
A tale of two men, two mountains and two days. Sometimes you go up one mountain and by some quirk of fate, accidentally climb another. Two men went up Crinkle Crags on Friday, became disorientated and reported themselves lost, cold and unable to find a way down. An initial search of Crinkle Crags was organised, followed by a more extensive search of Bowfell as well, after we failed to locate them. With four SARDA dogs and Wasdale MRT helping out, they were eventually located at the north end of Bowfell.
A man reported his two companions as suffering from hypothermia on the summit of Crinkle Crags. A search was organised, because he was uncertain exactly where they were, which is no surprise, since they were eventually located on Bowfell. The two casualties were cajoled on to their feet and all were escorted down The Band. We were assisted by Kendal MRT. A combination of poor judgement, poor equipment, and poor navigation combined to cause this incident.
Two men were reported overdue back at their hotel in Keswick by their wives, having set off from Langdale to complete a trip over Crinkle Crags. They failed to return. Their car was located in Langdale and a subsequent search, assisted by Wasdale MRT and SARDA located the men near Heron Crag, Eskdale. They were found by members of Wasdale MRT finding their way by the light of their mobile phone and making very slow progress. They were returned to their car for the journey back to their hotel. Team members were able to return to their beds around 1am.
While in the area, the team was requested to check parking locations for a car belonging to a vulnerable missing person. Nothing was found. The car was later located in the Torver area and the woman was subsequently located safely.
Light were reported in the Raven Crag area, seemingly struggling to find a way through the crags. When investigated, it turned out that they had made their way of the crag and out of the area.
A 59-year-old man suffered a suspected heart problem, with chest pains and nausea reported. The team was dispatched immediately, along with a request for a helicopter to attend. There was a little confusion as to the location, with it given as Hanging Knotts, but the grid reference given put it on the north summit of Bowfell. The latter was correct. The helicopter arrived on scene first, and airlifted the man to hospital, while team members located the rest of the party, and walked back down with them.
A pair of walkers reported themselves in difficulty as mist descended. They thought they were between Harrison Stickle and Pike O'Stickle. With darkness approaching it was decided that a quick daylight search was the order of the day. The were located (in the dark) between Thunacar Knott and High Raise (!) and escorted to the valley floor.
A man was reported as overdue from his walk on Crinkle Crags by his wife. Enquires were made and while a small team were making some preliminary checks of the road and parking places, a phone call was received from the man saying he was OK, but it was unclear due to poor reception where he was. A second call was later received from Brotherilkeld, Eskdale, to say he was safe and well. The search was called off and he was returned to his car.
A solo male reported himself as cragfast on Jack's Rake. The team was deployed, but recalled shortly afterwards, the man having been assisted by two others who had come across him struggling. With their assistance he was able to get to safer ground and continue to the top.
