Incident Reports 2004

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Incident Report #107 2004

The occupants of a car phoned the Police when they became stuck on an ice-covered Wrynose Pass. They were concerned that they couldn't get down. A vehicle was dispatched to assist them, but we couldn't find them. It transpired that they had got down the pass by themselves and were making their way to Lancaster. We returned home.
 

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Incident Report #105 2004

We were called to attend a woman with an ankle injury. She was walking with her husband. They had passed a grid reference to the Police which put them on Nanny Lane, Troutbeck. The team was dispatched to sort her out. Our first response group couldn't find them. We spoke them again and they admitted that they might not have been quite were they had initially told us. Further questioning located them on the Ambleside side of Wansfell. A second team was dispatched, they were located, and the woman's injury was treated. Grid references and numbers are such a tricky business.

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Incident Report #104 2004

The Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue taxi service was called out to retrieve a group of eleven people who had accidentally walked off the back of Crinkle Crags and had realised that when they arrived at the bottom of Moasdale they would be inconvenienced by a lack of transport. They were located by a group of team members and escorted down.
 

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Incident Report #103 2004

A woman fell five metres after slipping on rocky ground near the summit of the hill. She sustained a head injury as a result. The initial location that we were given by someone at the scene of the incident was approximately 1km out, but we worked it out and she was treated by team members and then airlifted to Carlisle hospital by the RAF.
 

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Incident Report #92 2004

A rare rescue on two counts. Firstly it was before lunch; secondly it was a mountain biker. A young local man fell from his bike when his seat snapped off. He sustained injuries to his shoulder, lower back, pelvic area, knee, and hand. He was treated at the scene by team members and evacuated to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance.

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Incident Report #89 2004

A large-scale search was organised when a man was reported missing overnight in the Langdale area. He had phoned home late the previous evening saying he was benighted, but was OK and would make his way down next day. When he didn't appear a search was organised. We were assisted by seven SARDA dogs. He was located at 13.30, unharmed.

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Incident Report #87 2004

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.

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Incident Report #84 2004

A 21-year-old man from the West Midlands phoned his parents to say that he was benighted at Angle Tarn. His parents phoned for help. We instigated a search and he was eventually located near the summit of Bowfell. We were assisted by Keswick MRT. Santa, if you're checking Christmas lists this early, can he have a torch for Christmas please?

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Incident Report #82 2004

We received a call to man who had camped out overnight below Cambridge Crag on Bowfell. He had called for help and an air ambulance was sent. He had become very cold and wet overnight and couldn't move. They couldn't find him, so we were called. We located him, gave him food and drink to warm him up, and then assisted him to walk down.

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Incident Report #69 2004

A man walking with his friend suffered head and chest injuries when he fell near the top end of  Rest Ghyll on the back of Crinkle Crags. He was unconscious for a short time. His friend descended to get help and Wasdale MRT were alerted. Because the informant didn't appear absolutely certain were he had left his friend we were also called. He was located by Wasdale MRT members and treatment was given. With our help he was evacuated from the ghyll and the long carry out down Mosedale began. Other personnel came up Mosedale to assist, including members of Kendal MRT.

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Incident Report #68 2004

A Maltese man slipped and sustained a lower leg injury. We don't normally go up hill, but in this case we took the slightly scenic route because the smooth, grassy descent around the back of Tarn Crag is much better than the rocky descent of Stickle Ghyll. After seeing the man safely in to an ambulance we retired to the pub to refresh ourselves. A couple of men at the bar who had seen us go up, and who had read about the team offered to stand us a round. A much appreciated gesture! Thanks.

Incident Type

Incident Report #61 2004

A man sustained a knee injury in Far Easedale. We were given a location by a passer-by. A second informant gave us another location, which he was adamant was correct. He was completely wrong (and is probably still up there, if his map reading skills are anything to go by!). The casualty was treated by team members and carried down with assistance from Kendal MRT. More substantial footwear may have given him more support and prevented the damage.

Incident Type

Incident Report #58 2004

A man sustained an ankle injury on Scafell. He struggled as far as Rossett Ghyll before he could go no further. This level of self-reliance has to be applauded. The man was embarrassed and apologetic for calling us out, but realistically he could not have been expected to get much further. He was treated by team members and evacuated by stretcher.

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Incident Report #53 2004

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.

Incident Type

Incident Report #51 2004

A 74-year-old male, walking with a family group, collapsed and was unable to move, probably due to fatigue. His son set off to get help, borrowed a mobile phone from a passer-by and contacted us. He then continued to descend with his young children, as a result of which we had no further contact with the casualty. We climbed on to the ridge but were unable to locate the man. He was eventually located by Kendal MRT descending in to Easedale under his own steam, having recovered sufficiently. He was given the once-over by Kendal MRT's doctor and allowed to go home.

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Incident Report #49 2004

Three men became lost on Bowfell. They were inadequately equipped for the conditions which were cold, wet and windy. They happened upon a group of Duke of Edinburgh Award candidates who, although slightly off route, were equipped for, and coping with, the conditions. The young people from the D of E expedition realised that the men were in trouble, and put tents up for them, and prepared to spend the night. They contacted their assessor to let them know that they weren't going to make it to their planned campsite, and that they would continue in the morning.

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Incident Report #45 2004

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.

Incident Type

Incident Report #43 2004

While we were dealing with previous two incidents it suddenly became a very busy day! A woman slipped on Heron Pike and dislocated her shoulder. A few remaining team members surplus from the previous two rescues were dispatched along with members of Kendal MRT to deal with this. They administered first aid and pain relief and she was evacuated by the air ambulance which had returned to assist, having dropped off the first casualty. Our drying room was very full for the next 24 hours!

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Location

Incident Report #42 2004

While the previous incident was under way we were alerted to another incident below us on the same path. A woman had slipped and sustained a suspected ankle fracture. Having left the previous casualty with paramedics at a point where the helicopter could pick them up, we descended, met other team members and dealt with the second casualty. She was stretchered to the valley floor and sent to hospital. She was wearing inappropriate footwear.

Incident Type

Incident Report #41 2004

A 45-year-old man slipped while descending, fracturing his ankle in the process. An air ambulance was called and we were asked to assist because of the difficult location. A number of team members were airlifted to the dam and made their way down to the cas site. The man was evacuated uphill to the dam and airlifted to hospital. Let me just say that uphill is bad. Very bad. It hurts.
 

Incident Type

Incident Report #40 2004

A group of five young people were reported overdue at their campsite on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition. They were last seen at Easedale Tarn at around 1pm. They failed to arrive at their planned campsite at Stickle Tarn.  A search was organised and they were located at Easedale Tarn. They believed that they were at Stickle Tarn. They were escorted down and reunited with their supervisors.
 

Incident Type

Incident Report #30 2004

A man in his 20s blacked out and fell a short distance, breaking his arm badly in the process. Because of the inaccessible position and the black-out, a helicopter and Kendal MRT were called to assist. Langdale team members were making their way to the site on foot when the helicopter arrived. It picked up some Kendal team members from the valley and flew them up. A couple had been winched out when the helicopter rotor clipped the crag, causing serious damage, and causing the helicopter to pull away and land very heavily in Mickleden.

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Incident Report #28 2004

With darkness approaching, we were notified of a woman who was alone on Mart Crag and unable to find her way down. She was given instructions to locate Stake Pass, and a small group was dispatched to track her down. Somehow she managed to miss the path at Stake Pass and was located descending from Rossett Ghyll, having traversed around the back of Rossett Pike. It was agreed that she would undertake some navigation tuition in the very near future!

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Incident Report #21 2004

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.

Incident Type

Incident Report #19 2004

A 43-year-old man fell approximately 40 feet from the lower section of Pavey Ark. He sustained head injuries, a jaw fracture and a neck fracture, and lost consciousness for a while. A doctor in the group provided initial first aid, maintaining his airway. He was treated, and airlifted to Furness General Hospital. The remainder of the group, a mixture of adults and children, were escorted from the hill by team members.

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Incident Report #15 2004

A young male was reported overdue at his destination in Langdale. He had set off from Wasdale, but not arrived. A search was organised, involving SARDA, Keswick MRT, Wasdale MRT and ourselves. He was located at 04.45, cragfast at Hanging Knotts. He was cold and wet, but otherwise unharmed. He was escorted to Langdale by members of Langdale MRT and then repatriated.

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Incident Report #12 2004

While dealing with the first incident we were notified of a second incident at Dungeon Ghyll. A woman had slipped and sustained a suspected fractured ankle. At this stage Kendal MRT were called to assist. She was treated and evacuated to the valley. Later information revealed that she had sustained three fractures to her tibia and fibula.

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Incident Report #8 2004

We were made aware of a scout group of consisting 8 children and 2 adults who had got into difficulty near the Priest Hole, Patterdale. This is not our area, but in contacting Patterdale MRT to make them aware, our assistance was requested. Eleven team members and Paddy (dog) went to assist. The group had been attempting to reach the Priest Hole to camp there, but had been overwhelmed by severe weather. We found a group of very cold children, some without footwear. The weather was variable, ranging from still moonlight to force 8 winds and driving snow, but generally deteriorating.

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Incident Report #7 2004

The team was asked to assist in a major operation to find and rescue a large number of cockle pickers from the sands in Morecambe Bay. They had been caught by a fast advancing tide. A number of people made their own way to safety, several were rescued, but tragically nineteen drowned. The team sent vehicles, personnel, search dogs and specialist radio equipment. On 15th February another body was located on the sand near Morecambe. One of the problems encountered at the time was that nobody knew how many people were out on the sand.

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Incident Report #3 2004

A 40-year-old woman slipped while descending and sustained deep lacerations to her head. She was on steep and difficult terrain and was significantly off her intended descent route. Other than their navigational error, they were well equipped and experienced. Rescues in the dark and snow are always so much more interesting than the rest.

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Incident Report #2 2004

Kendal MRT called us to assist them with a search for two missing people overdue on a walk from Kentmere to Troutbeck. They were reported missing by their mother, when they failed to show up at the pub that she was waiting in. They were located in another pub. We all went home.
very high winds and heavy rain.

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