2010

Letters - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - Great End - Sharp Edge - Statistics

'Alerts' are included among the list of incidents - for general interest and to conform with our national reporting policy.
These 'alerts', however, are not added to the tally of 'rescues'.

1	1 January	13:19	Latrigg - Brundholme House area	Once again, we were requested to assist the Ambulance Service who could not reach the location because of the snowy and icy roads. On this occasion, a walker had slipped and dislocated her shoulder. A local farmer also gave assistance with the use of his tractor.
	2 January	17:39	Helvellyn area	A father and his teenage son were reported to be overdue and 2 miles from their car. As their car was not to be found on our side of the mountain, the incident was passed over to Patterdale MRT for their attention.
	2 January	19:02	Seathwaite	Overdue walkers - later turned up.
	2 January		Grisedale Pike area	Other walkers reported encountering a man who was poorly-equipped (for the wintry conditions) and who looked to be in a bad way. When they asked if he was OK, they were told to mind their own business!
2	2 January	19:40	Comb Gill - Raven Crag	A local resident reported flashing lights in the Comb. At first it was thought that the lights came from the popular winter climbing area, Raven Crag. However, team members located the climbers safely making their way down.
3	3 January	14:07	Cat Gill, Great Wood	A mother (43 yrs) and her daughter (5 yrs) slipped on the icy path and slithered about 30' down into the frozen gill. They both sustained severe lacerations and bruising, and the daughter (who was a star!) also broke her tibia. The Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer achieved some amazing manoeuvres in failing light to winch the 2 to safety and then take them to hospital in Carlisle.
4	3 January	16:51	Blencathra - Sharp Edge	A father and his son (14 yrs) became cragfast in icy conditions after completing a winter climb above the Tarn when trying to find a way off. Despite the failing light, the helicopter which had just completed the previous rescue, returned to pluck the 2 climbers from the crag face. Apart from extreme cold and red faces, they survived their ordeal!
5	4 January	08:23	Hawse End area	Workers at the local outdoor centre heard screams for help coming from the lake area from about 7 am. It was thought that someone may have fallen through the ice. Despite initial investigations, they found nothing so called in the emergency services. We were assisted again by the Sea King from RAF Boulmer in searching shore and the lake surface, but nothing was found.
6	4 January	14:53	Helvellyn - Birkside	A walker (M 41 yrs) got himself stuck in steep, icy ground when descending. We went to his assistance and brought him down.
7	6 January	13:53	Robin Hood	We were requested to assist the Ambulance Service by recovering its vehicle from a snow-covered hill after it had tried to access a remote property to take a medical case to hospital.
				^ ^ ^ ^ It was steeper than it looked and thin snow on an icy surface is often more slippery than thicker snow.
8	9 January	11:20	Derwentwater Boat Landing	A lady (48 yrs) slipped on the ice and broke her elbow. We attended to her until the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital.
9	15 January	12:08	Hind Crag Gully, Seathwaite	3 people were just completing the gully climb in the middle of the crag when the lead climbers triggered a wet slab avalanche which took the 3rd climber back down the gully. The 2 at the top feared the worst because they were unable to see to the bottom. The unfortunate one (M 36 yrs) struggled to stay on the surface and, after a 240m fall, ended up buried up to his middle in wet snow which had instantly 'set like concrete'. Although he had lost a crampon, he had managed to retain his ice axe, which he used to cut himself out. By the time he had done that (about 10-15 minutes) and got himself down to the track below, he was found by Team members who were just arriving on scene. The 2 at the top of the climb remained where they were until we were able to help them back down. A very lucky man with nothing but a few bumps and bruises!
				^ ^ ^ ^ He travelled the full length of the gully and ended up about 50' above the wall.
10	24 January	15:19	Glaramara	A group of 6 (between 25 and 61 yrs of age) became lost in the cloud and impending darkness. Their guest house proprietor raised the alarm. We managed to locate them well off any path and escort them back down to the valley.
11	29 January	16:12	Great End - Central Gully	A climber (62 yrs) was hit by a falling block of ice which had probably been dislodged by other climbers higher up the route. It rather looked as if he had broken his collar bone. While he was making his way down, he was met by a member of the Team. The climber was helped down and transport to hospital in Carlisle was arranged.
12	31 January	14:14	High Tove	A lady (60 yrs) slipped on the icy path and managed to break her arm. She was brought down to Watendlath.
	31 January	17:43	Latrigg	A local resident reported seeing torches flashing in the summit area for some 20 minutes before disappearing. This was treated as a false alarm with good intent.
13	1 February	13:04	Styhead Tarn	A lady (40 yrs) slipped and broke her ankle. Her partner happened to be a member of Edale MRT. He was well-qualified to assist at the scene but he needed us to help carry her down.
14	1 February	19:41	Carrock Fell	2 climbers managed to cause some concern with a local inhabitant and the police when their torches were spotted flashing as they were completing their winter climb at this late hour! However, they were fine. We went to meet them to make sure that all was well and then walked back down with them.
15	3 February	21:57	Fisher Gill, Thirlmere	11 students and 5 staff called for assistance when they decided it was too dangerous to continue down the path in the icy conditions. We located them and assisted them down to the valley where they were picked up by their minibuses. One of the students was suffering from mild hypothermia.
16	4 February	14:44	Central Fells	A lady (53 yrs) set off on a walk to Scafell Pike but became disorientated in the poor visibility and unnerved by the snowy and icy conditions. Together with Wasdale and Langdale/Ambleside MRTs, plus 4 search dogs, we eventually found her near the Corridor Route. For much of the time we had a good phone signal to her, but she was so lost, it was by good luck rather than by good fortune that we found her so quickly.
17	6 February	13:19	Dale Head - Great End Gully	A party of 6 were attempting a 'summer' scramble up the gully when one of them fell and bounced down about 15m, narrowly missing a domino effect with his friends. He sustained head, leg and back injuries. One of the group managed to scramble to the top of the mountain where he was able to get a phone signal to raise the alarm. A lengthy and tricky rescue ensued. 2 companions were lowered about 450 ft with a Team member to the base of the gully. Then a Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer fortunately arrived on the scene and was able to winch the casualty up on a stretcher as well as the remaining 2 climbers. A job well done!
				^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
18	8 February	11:54	The Benn, Thirlmere	While walking in the area, a young man discovered a badly decomposed body which has obviously been lying there for some time. Together with the Police, we assisted in the formalities and recovery.
19	9 February	12:00	Glaramara - Cam Crag Ridge	We were requested by a local farmer to rescue 2 sheep from a ledge on the ridge. They had been there for 4 weeks.
20	9 February	20:59	Combe Door, Gillercombe	A local farmer reported flashing lights at the head of the comb - possibly showing a distress signal. It turned out to be a brother and sister (twins 30 yrs) who had lost their way between Scafell Pike and Stonethwaite and become very cold and benighted. We found them and accompanied them down.
	11 February	13:28	Nethermost Pike	We were alerted by the police to a climber who had fallen 500' down Eagle Crag, Borrowdale. When we called the informant, we immediately realised it was not our Eagle Crag, and the incident was quickly passed on the Patterdale MRT. In the event, the man had taken his fall on Nethermost Pike.
21	13 February	15:03	Blencathra - Tarn Crags	2 young men and a young lady (20s) became cragfast when they attempted to climb the headwall behind Scales Tarn. We went down on ropes to them and assisted them up to the top. Then we accompanied them back to the valley.
22	13 February	16:13	Dale Head Tarn area	A lady (63 yrs) collapsed with exhaustion and a panic attack. We carried her down and transported her to hospital for a check up.
23	3 March	14:24	Great End - Window Gully	An experienced climber was soloing the gully and had almost completed the climb when he triggered an avalanche. Other climbers in the area remember seeing him in the gully and were concerned that he had been carried down in the avalanche. 3 mountain rescue teams, search dogs and 2 helicopters were mobilised. Happily, one of the first team members at the scene found the climber who was able to confirm that he had not been avalanched or injured.
				^ ^ ^ ^ Central Gully is the obvious cleft in the centre of the crag. Window Gully is on the right of the picture
24	6 March	14:17	Eagle Crag, Easedale	We received reports of shouts for help being heard on Eagle Crag (we assumed this to be the Eagle Crag in our area, in Greenup Gill). We proceded to the area to investigate. Meanwhile we eventually received another call saying the incident was in Easedale so the incident was immediately passed to Langdale/Ambleside MRT. See incident of 11 February.
25	7 March	17:57	Grains Gill - White Bridge	Having worn crampons for most of the day, a woman (51 yrs) had hardly taken them off when she slipped and sustained a broken ankle. We treated her at the scene and carried her to a waiting ambulance.