2005

1

1 January

  13:42

Castle Crag - Allerdale Ramble

A lady (65 yrs) slipped on wet ground and broke her ankle.

2

2 January

  13:36

Blencathra

We received a call reporting a sighting of someone injured on the mountain. After  searching for more than 3 hours - the location was unknown - the 'casualty' eventually turned up at one of our parked vehicles. A false alarm with good intent.

3

8 January

00:23

Keswick Town Centre

Keswick experienced its worst floods and strongest winds for decades. Over 24 hours, we were involved in assisting with mass evacuations of properties and submerged vehicles to a makeshift  Refuge Centre in the local school. Using our boat and 3 diesel 4x4 vehicles, we assisted over 40 people including a baby, 5 cats, 3 dogs and 2 criminals. During the evacuations, Keswick experienced gusts of wind of 86 mph and all roads to and from Keswick were closed for many hours due to fallen trees and floods.

Postscript:   10  members were,themselves, victims of the floods yet many continued to work with the Team in helping others in the town.

4

8 January

  14:47

Sty Head

We received an incomplete and confused call - location and injuries very unclear - which we eventually discovered to be a woman (44 yrs) who had slipped on wet rock and injured her ankle near the summit of Seathwaite Fell at 1 pm. She had been carried on the Sty Head Box stretcher by other members of her party for some way and she had tried to walk - before being met by members of the Team who were making their way to Sty Head to investigate. We carried  her down from the 1000' Boulder and took her through the floods to hospital.

5

14 January

  15:43

Greenup Edge

A couple (49 yrs) became lost and disoriented while walking from Grasmere to Borrowdale. They were located at around 7 pm at the head of Mere Beck in Deep Slack on High Raise and escorted down via Wythburn. Langdale/Ambleside MRT were also involved in the search.
See letter.

6

6 March

13:47

Bannerdale Crags

2 men became stuck at the top of the East Ridge when they encountered snow and ice. 5 member of the team were taken to the summit by a helicopter which was training in the area, in readiness for top-roping the 2 men to the summit. However, the helicopter managed to winch them to safety. They were deposited on the summit from whence they made their own way down.

7

12 March

12:09

Stoneycroft Gill

A man (60 yrs) was found by passing walkers in a distressed condition with chest pains and breathing difficulties. After being treated by the Team Doctor at the scene, he was airlifted to West Cumberland Hospital by the North West Air Ambulance.

8

18 March

12:28

Blencathra - Sharp Edge

A man (62 yrs) who slipped while traversing under the Edge fell 40', sustaining a broken arm, broken ribs, head injuries and a punctured lung. After treatment from the Team on scene, he was airlifted by a Sea King helicopter to Carlisle.
See letter.

9

20 March

12:45

Ashness - Walla Crag path

The Team had assembled for a training exercise with the RAF Boulmer Sea King helicopter. The first warm weather weekend of the year  had arrived and visitors  had turned out in droves. Just as the Team was about to become airborne, the first of several callouts came in. There were calls in the Grasmere, Patterdale and Cockermouth areas, as well as a call in our own patch  to a man (62 yrs) who has slipped on wet grass and broken his ankle. Needless to say, with the helicopter preoccupied  with rescues, our training was curtailed!

10

23 March

21:45

Helvellyn - Whiteside area

A student and his girlfriend went to ground when their tent was damaged by high winds. In a joint search by Patterdale MRT and ourselves, they were located and taken back down to Patterdale.

11

27 March

14:21

Glaramara - Allen Crags area

A couple became lost and disoriented in the cloud. They used their mobile phone to seek help. As it was not clear exactly where they were, a few team members went out to find them. They were found at the top of Raven Crag and were escorted back down!

12

27 March

21:15

Castle Crag area

There were (reliable) reports of parachute flares being seen. A search was made but nothing was found.

13

29 March

13:00

Shepherd's Crag area

A lady (59 yrs) fell from the stile and broke her ankle. The first person on scene was a passing ex-team member!

14

29 March

21:23

Millican Dalton's Cave

An Outward Bound party requested assistance with a girl (15 yrs) who experienced a recurrence of a known  back problem.

15

1 April

14:40

Langstrath - Fairy Glen

A lady (65 yrs) slipped on wet rocks and injured her ankle.

16

4 April

16:34

Glaramara

A lady (46 yrs) slipped and broke her ankle.

17

4 April

22:35

Harrison Stickle area

We assisted in a search for a mother (49 yrs) who had failed to return having gone to look for her 2 sons who had left the family group to scramble up the Stickle. The sons returned without meeting their mother. Her body, having taken  a fall, was located the following morning by RAF rescue helicopter.

18

23 April

13:07

Dock Tarn

A lady (49 yrs) fell on her knees on to some rock. She was then unable to walk with one knee which had become quite swollen and painful. She was carried to Watendlath and taken to hospital in Keswick.

19

23 April

13:40

Latrigg - Keswick bridleway

We had to divert our second Land Rover to deal with a mountain biker, a local man (51 yrs),  who had gone over his handlebars after failing to jump a rut. He sustained a broken humerus, broken jaw and cheek bone and lost a few teeth. He ended up in hospital in Carlisle. Fortunately he was wearing a helmet!

20

2 May

10:45

Old Coach Road near Mariel Bridge

A woman (29 yrs) lost control while traversing this bridleway on her mountain bike. She sustained painful shoulder injuries when she fell. She was transported to a waiting ambulance.

21

4 May

04:30

Dodds

2 men (18 yrs) became separated from a party of 5 and tried a descent directly to St Johns in the Vale. We were requested by Patterdale MRT to assist in a search to find them. They used their phone to send SMS messages. From this we learned that they were in a steep gully and unable to move. After an all-night search, a helicopter was deployed at first light and it found the 2 men (unharmed but with mild hypothermia) in steep ground in Brown Crag, some way from where they thought they were!

22

8 May

12:10

Grains Gill

A man and a woman, both with twisted, painful knees were given assistance.  A helicopter on exercise in the area was called in to provide transport.

23

12 May

20:46

Hawse End area

There was a report of a paraglider seen spiralling down towards the ground. A search was made but nothing found. A false alarm with good intent.

24

21 May

13:07

Surprise View

A trail hound managed to run over the edge and fall some way down the crag. It was recovered and taken to a local vet.

25

28 May

15:13

Hindscarth - Grey Stones

3 walkers (including a young woman of  26 yrs) became cragfast and very frightened when trying to climb up the steep side of the mountain. They made a mobile phone call for assistance. After some initial difficulty in locating them, they were then roped up to the top and escorted back down to the valley.

26

29 May

02:39

Surprise View area

After several people, including a local hotel night porter, reported seeing and hearing shouts and flares, a search was made. However, nothing was found. A false alarm with good intent.

27

29 May

17:16

Grains Gill

A man (28 yrs) slipped and fell 25' from the bad step in the narrow section of the gill. Suffering from concussion, head, back and arm injuries, he was airlifted to hospital where he was reported to have sustained 3 broken ribs.

28

2 June

11:20

Manesty area, Borrowdale

We were requested to assist the paramedics in the recovery of a man (in his 50s) who had suffered from an epileptic fit.

29

17 June

15:55

Gowder Crag - Fool's Paradise

2 climbers became cragfast after being involved in a substantial rock fall. One climber (26 yrs) escaped but the other (24 yrs) died from his injuries despite medical help on scene and a waiting helicopter.

30

18 June

11:40

Shepherd's Crag - Chamonix

A woman (36 yrs) fell about 5' from the first pitch on to both feet, breaking one ankle. She was stretchered from the crag and taken to hospital.

31

24 June

12:27

Shepherd's Crag - Eve

A man (25 yrs) was leading the climb when he fell 60' to the boulders below. Some of his protection failed to hold him. He died from severe head injuries.

32

24 June

12:30

Latrigg

A woman (25 yrs) slipped on some fresh  'partle' (sheep droppings) and broke her ankle. The Great North Air Ambulance diverted from the previous incident and flew her to hospital in Carlisle.

33

25 June

12:32

Willygrass Gill path to Dock Tarn

A girl (14 yrs) on an exchange visit from Slovenia was suffering from severe stomach cramps. She was carried down and taken to Keswick Cottage Hospital for examination.

34

1 July

15:23

King's How descent into Troutdale

A sporting 85 yr old lady tripped while returning to the valley and unfortunately caught her foot and tripped, breaking her ankle.

35

6 July

21:48

High Pike area

A fell runner (40s) was unofficially following a race-goer when he lost sight of him in the mist. He tried to retrace his route in order to find a manned checkpoint but the 'man' had left. He went to another previous checkpoint with the same outcome. He eventually got down to the valley where he found a Swedish campervan which offered him warmth and transport!

36

7 July

23:12

Blencathra, Blease Fell

Shouts for help, whistles and flashing lights were reported from a campsite across the valley. On investigation, a school group was found. They had gone off route while descending from a night walk.

37

10 July

15:31

Walla Crag

A lady (33 yrs) landed badly when taking the descent path northwards from the summit, sustaining an ankle injury. She was carried down to a waiting ambulance.

38

10 July

17:59

Dale Head

We were requested by the ambulance service to assist in the recovery of a woman (30 yrs) who had broken her ankle.

39

14 July

21:39

Friar's Crag

We were requested by the ambulance service to assist in the recovery of a youth (17 yrs) who had tumbled down the crags at the lake shore and was suffering from cuts and bruises.

40

15 July

17:28

Great Gable - Windy Gap

A man (53 yrs) was having trouble with muscle cramps, exacerbated by a small fall. He managed to walk down with the assistance of the Team.

41

16 July

15:10

Ullock Pike above Ravenstone Hotel

A local girl (8 yrs) managed to fall out of a tree!   She sustained cuts to her head.   After being stretchered down, she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

42

23 July

02:00

Sty Head

A male participant (42 yrs) suffered from a blackout while taking part in the 3 Peaks Event. We met Wasdale MRT at Sty Head and walked the casualty back down to Seathwaite.

43

26 July

17:35

Bull Crag, Langstrath

A lady (38 yrs) slipped and broke her leg.

44

3 August

12:00

Blencathra - Mousethwaite Comb

A lady (52 yrs) was blown to  the edge of the path where she lost her balance and tumbled 100 metres down the fellside. She suffered various multiple injuries. She was airlifted by the Great North Air Ambulance  to hospital.

45

3 August

14:45

Barf

A woman (39 yrs) slipped  but chose not to fall back as she was carrying an infant in a papoose. She broke her leg and was taken to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance.

46

7 August

16:40

Clough Head - White Pike

A paraglider (female 27 yrs) landed only to be picked up by the wind again and dumped roughly on the ground. She suffered from a fractured tibia and fibula, neck and back pains. She was taken by the Great North Air Ambulance to hospital.

47

8 August

14:25

Cat Bells traverse

A walker slipped and fell into a gully. We were requested to assist the ambulance crew with the evacuation of the casualty.

48

8 August

14:52

Sourmilk Ghyll, Seathwaite

A man (26 yrs) slipped and fell 60' while gill scrambling. He sustained injuries to his lower back and wrist.

49

10 August

22:15

Great Stanger Gill, Stonethwaite

We investigated a report of some stationary flashing lights which were responding to signals in the valley. A group of campers was found. A false alarm with good intent.

50

20 August

14:40

Cat Bells

A lady (76 yrs) slipped and fell. She broke her shoulder/arm and sustained a cut forehead. She was taken by a RAF Sea King helicopter to hospital.

51

20 August

16:10

Theatre by the Lake

We assisted the First Responders in attending to a lady (35 yrs) who was suffering from a panic attack which was thought to be related to her heart condition.

52

22 August

15:48

Cat Bells

A man (44 yrs) slipped on the steep descent from  the top of the ridge. He managed to dislocate 2 fingers in a spectacular way and to lacerate his leg.

53

22 August

00:43

Greenup area

A man (59 yrs) was reported overdue. Having become lost while trying to retrace his route, he spent the night on a rather exposed hillside outside the search area. He walked out at first light and rang his family at 08:45 to say that he was safe and well.

54

27 August

17:38

Lonscale Fell - Lonscale Crags

A boy (12 yrs) managed to fall from the track while on his mountain bike, tumbling 100' down the fell. He sustained multiple bruises and grazes as well as a broken leg.
See letter.

55

4 September

13:43

Springs Wood

A lady (47 yrs) slipped on a gravelly path and broke her ankle.

56

5 September

13.37

Shepherd's Crag - Brown Slabs Crack

A lady (33 yrs) fell 10' and suffered cuts and bruises to her leg.

57

14 September

16:11

Newlands - head of valley

A man (48 yrs) caught his foot in a hole and fell badly sustaining a fracture/dislocation of his ankle.

58

24 September

10:43

Helvellyn Ghyll

A man (43 yrs) succumbed to a diabetic collapse. He was cared for by a nurse on scene before being carried down by the team.

59

25 September

15:43

High Spy - Cockley How

A man (58 yrs) stumbled and fell sustaining multiple abrasions mainly to his face, also possibly fracturing his nose and skull. He had managed to walk a little way further but then needed the assistance of the Team.

60

2 October

13:42

Langstrath - Woof Gill

A lady (35 yrs) caught her foot in a hole and badly twisted her ankle resulting in a fracture. Her husband walked 2½ miles to the nearest telephone to call for help. She was taken by the Great North Air Ambulance to hospital in Carlisle.

61

2 October

15:23

Fleetwith Pike - Fleetwith Edge

A man in a party of 15 slipped and tumbled 15-20' down the Honister side of the ridge sustaining minor head injuries. As we were working with the Great North Air Ambulance on the previous rescue, we flew to the scene and were able to effect a very quick rescue. Fortunately the injuries were light but the casualty was flown to Carlisle with the previous casualty.

62

7 October

15:53

Whinlatter Forest - Revelin Moss area

A man (72 yrs) slipped  and injured his leg. We assisted the Great North Air Ambulance, which had been tasked to this incident, by carrying the casualty down  from his predicament to the helicopter which had landed on a forestry road. 

63

9 October

16:45

Newlands - beyond Castlenook

A lady (57 yrs) injured her leg in high winds. We carried her down to the Great North Air Ambulance which was waiting lower down the valley.

64

11 October

22:49

Seatoller - Rosthwaite

2 men (54 yrs & 27 yrs) were reported overdue. Their car was eventually located at Seathwaite and a search was mounted involving several teams. The weather was atrocious with high winds, heavy rain and flooding. The 2 men turned up at Wasdale Head at 10 am the next day having spent the night out.

65

13 October

18:10

High Spy - Grange

A woman (64 yrs) slipped on wet grass and injured her ankle. Her location was not precisely known. However, she was quickly located and carried down.

66

15 October

13:15

Blencathra - Sharp Edge

A woman (54 yrs) lost her footing while trying to regain the crest of the ridge. She fell 50 metres and sustained serious multiple injuries. She was airlifted to Carlisle Hospital by a RAF rescue helicopter.
See letter.

67

22 October

19:50

Esk Hause area

3 walkers (male 22 yrs, male 23 yrs, female 23 yrs) had become lost while descending from Scafell Pike. With the use of their mobile phone, they had been 'talked out' of Upper Esk by Wasdale MRT. However, they could not find their way to Borrowdale from Esk Hause. That's where we became involved!

68

23 October

11:30

Carrock Mine

A foxhound managed to get itself stuck down an old disused mineshaft. However, by the time the Team had arrived, some followers had managed to get into the mine and get the dog out!

69

26 October

15:37

Watendlath area

A lady (61 yrs) had slipped and injured her ankle. The ambulance crew which had been tasked to this incident required our services in carrying the lady down. However, others had managed to assist the lady to the village by the time the Team had arrived.

70

27 October

12:55

Castlehead

A lady (48 yrs) slipped on wet rock and injured her ankle close to the viewpoint at the summit. Once again we were asked to assist the ambulance crew with her extrication.

71

29 October

21:45

Central Fells

A lady (48 yrs) and the son (16 yrs) were reported overdue. They were fortunately quickly located unharmed  by Wasdale MRT at Hollow Stones at 23:15 hrs.

72

3 November

11:41

Latrigg

A man (68 yrs) slipped on wet, muddy grass. He broke his ankle in 2 places and also his tibia and fibula! It was a wet, miserable day!
See letter.

73

6 November

12:49

Dunmail Raise

A man (55 yrs) was reported by his wife to be in a suicidal state. His car was located by the police. After another phone call to his wife, the search was called off and the team stood down.

74

6 November

21:39

Raven Crag, Borrowdale - Corvus

5 climbers (2F 19 yrs & 1M 20 yrs) set off on the route at midday. 2 of them managed to get past the hand traverse section but the other 3 failed. They managed to traverse to a larger ledge before send an SMS message to their companions. This message only got through a couple of hours later. After more than 10 hours on the crag they were lowered to safety. One was stretchered down due to mild hypothermia and exhaustion.

75

19 November

12:00

Carrock

A cragfast sheep was rescued.

76

19 November

17:35

Force Crag Mine area

A man was hit on the head by a falling stone. He was taken to hospital by a RAF rescue helicopter which was training in the area and Team members assisted the rest of the group down to the valley.

77

23 November

02:30

Caldbeck area

The taxi which was taking a man home after a visit to a pub got stuck in some mud at the end of a lane. The man, who was a local farm worker, decided to cross some fields to reach his home. As he did not arrive  back a search was mounted. There was concern for his safety in the freezing fog.  Nothing was found but he reported into a local police station at midday the following day.

78

23 November

14:07

King's How

An American lady and her friend became lost and disoriented in the mist. She used her mobile phone to seek help. We managed to talk her down from her position and she was met by team members on her descent to make sure of no further misadventures!

79

27 November

22:15

Great End area

2 walkers ran out of daylight and because of their unpreparedness were caught out with no torches and no survival equipment. They called for help on their mobile phone but the battery ran out. A search involving 3 teams in sub-zero conditions and snow located them at 01.30 am. They were escorted down but were fortunate not to have suffered a worse fate. A torch may have been better than a failing mobile phone!

80

4 December

00:29

Central Fells

A couple (M28 & F25) were reported overdue at their hotel in Windermere. Their car was located at Seathwaite from where they had planned to do Scafell Pike. Wasdale MRT, Langdale/Ambleside MRT, ourselves, SARDA (Lakes) and SARDA (England) were all involved in a search which located the missing people safe but cold in Eskdale at Great Moss. They were escorted down. They then faced the prospect of a £90 taxi bill and a hotel reservation which was never taken up!
See letter.

81

13 December

14:43

Styhead Gill near 1000' Boulder

A man apparently slipped from the footpath on the Taylorgill side of the beck and tumbled about 30'. He sustained head injuries from which he died, despite a quick response from the Team, an air ambulance and an RAF Sea King.

82

16 December

12:27

Cat Bells - Allerdale Ramble

A student (21 yrs) was in double trouble by taking time off college and by bending the Christmas present from his parents (a mountain bike) when he hit a groove and went over the handlebars. He managed to break his collar bone - and hurt his pride!

83

84

A lady (50 yrs) slipped on steep grass and broke her ankle - a dubious honour for this poor lady as our records show that this is the only Christmas Day rescue other than one in 1952.

85

A dog called Lucky chased a robin whilst on the summit. He ended up falling down a 60' cliff becoming stuck on a ledge. We eventually located the animal and were able to bring him to safety!

86

87

88