Sharp Edge

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

1947 to 3  January  2010

Total Incidents = 63  (10 fatalities)

January 21, 1961
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 150

19:00

Search in poor conditions for a young man who had slipped and fallen 100' receiving fatal head injuries.

March 27, 1975
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 529

12:45

Cries for help heard. 2 men (18 yrs & 21 yrs) found cragfast on icy crag.

December 29, 1975
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 558

13:45

Woman (27 yrs) slipped on wet rock and fell 200' into gully sustaining multiple injuries.

February 4, 1976
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 561

17:50

Party of 8 from Rugby School overdue. They turned up as the Team was being called out.

July 28, 1978
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 647

16:50

Man (50 yrs) fell about 6' and sustained a broken leg. Assisted by Patterdale MRT and Ullswater OBMS.

March 10, 1979
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 664

16:00

Boy (15 yrs) slipped. Man (26 yrs) fell attempting rescue. Man killed. Boy sustained head injuries. RAF rescue helicopter called.

April 15, 1983
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 813

15:55

Man (31 yrs) became cragfast while trying to avoid difficulties on descent of the ridge. Cool, dry day.

June 5, 1983
Blencathra - Scales Fell below Sharp Edge
Incident No 821

10:15

Man (69 yrs) slipped sustaining injuries to scalp, face and arms.

July 29, 1987
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1017

17:30

A German man slipped about 60' off the Edge sustaining multiple abrasions, lacerated scalp, leg and arm injuries. He managed to regain the Edge but then collapsed. He was carried down with difficulty as he weighed about 18 stones. Warm, dry day.

August 16, 1987
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1019

13:50

A woman (69 yrs) walking on her own was reported to have fallen from the Edge. She suffered from multiple injuries and was flown by a helicopter in the area to West Cumberland Hospital. Wet day.

October 10, 1987
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1026

17:18

A woman slipped and fell over 100' on descent from the Edge to an easier path and suffered multiple injuries. She was lowered 200' to easier ground. Her husband and 2 young sons (10 & 12 yrs) were also taken off in darkness.

October 17, 1988
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1074

16:00

A woman (62 yrs) slipped and fell about 70' from the Edge into a gully, sustaining multiple injuries. She was lowered from the gully and picked up by a waiting helicopter but was found to be dead on arrival at hospital.

November 9, 1988
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1082

17:30

Police requested the Team to investigate a rucksack which had been seen beneath the Edge. A search, with dogs, revealed nothing. It was later discovered that the rucksack had been dropped and not retrieved because of its inaccessibility.

March 20, 1989
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1094

16:20

2 men became cragfast in icy conditions when the weather deteriorated while they were descending. They were located and escorted off by the Team.

July 13, 1989
Blencathra - Foule Crag
Incident No 1114

13:30

The sighting of a body at the foot of the crag was reported by some Danish walkers who were on Sharp Edge. The body of a man (24 yrs) was not identified for two weeks.

November 12, 1989
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1143

11:15

A Royal Marine lost his footing and fell about 150' from the Edge, sustaining head and leg injuries. A helicopter was called to assist. The man was fortunate, subsequently being found to have only relatively minor injuries. A bright day but greasy underfoot.

September 22, 1991
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1253

11:16

A woman fell from Sharp Edge at the awkward step. She sustained multiple, fatal injuries.

October 1, 1991
Blencathra - Glenderamackin by Sharp Edge
Incident No 1254

16:22

A man (26 yrs) succumbed to the weather while on an adventure training course.  He was carried down in extremely high winds.  The stretcher and bearers were all blown over and scattered by the wind at one point.

January 25, 1992
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1270

13:05

A man slipped and fell to his death whilst traversing Sharp Edge - somewhere around the 'Bad Step'. A helicopter in the area was able to evacuate the body as the Team was arriving at the scene.

August 9, 1992
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1321

16:38

A young lady (25 yrs) was reported to be cragfast.

October 3, 1992
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1338

16:41

A solo walker (26 yrs) fell from the bad step sustaining multiple, fatal injuries. As the Team was already in action, the helicopter and Cockermouth MRT were called to assist.  The report was of 2 casualties.

June 1, 1993
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1372

11:15

A girl (17 yrs) in a large group slipped and fell 120' when she sneezed. She sustained a fracture/dislocation of her thoracic spine but no damage to her spinal chord.

July 17, 1993
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1376

13:15

A boy (13 yrs) in a youth group slipped and fell down a gully to the foot of the Edge. A helicopter on exercise in the area assisted the Team in his immediate care. He was airlifted to Carlisle Infirmary with head and spinal injuries.

December 5, 1993
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1420

17:00

A family with young children reported to be in difficulty on Sharp Edge. The Team found the group descending in the dark with help from other walkers.

July 2, 1994
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1470

12:05

A woman (32 yrs) slipped while walking along the side of Sharp Edge and fell 100'. She sustained head and arm injuries. She was treated and then lowered to foot of the crag before being carried to a waiting helicopter which had been training in the area.

July 7, 1995
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1546

11:35

A youth (17 yrs) slipped from the bad step and fell 200' down a gully. He was taken by helicopter to Carlisle but sustained only multiple minor injuries.

October 7, 1995
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1566

12:45

A man (36 yrs) slipped and fell 150' down a gully on the north side. He broke his spine and suffered severe lacerations to his head.

December 22, 1995
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1587

12:10

A man became cragfast while traversing. He went to ground in a bivvy bag but was rescued from his predicament by other walkers who then informed the Team by mobile phone.

March 3, 1996
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1601

12:35

A man (54 yrs) slipped and fell 150', receiving fatal injuries. Despite helicopter assistance to quickly reach the scene and an attempt to resuscitate, the man was pronounced dead.

December 7, 1996
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1665

12:22

A man (35 yrs) slipped while scrambling and broke his leg. He was airlifted to hospital.

31 December, 1997
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

11:00

A man (33 yrs) slipped on greasy rock and fell 200 metres to the bottom of the ridge.  He was helicoptered to hospital with multiple injuries.

January 4, 1998
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

18:30

3 people caught in a blizzard on the summit become cragfast on descent of Sharp Edge, one of them having fallen a couple of times. Alarm raised by mobile phone.

May 3, 1998
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

13:16

Other walkers reported shouts for help at the bas step. They were found walking down as the Team approached the area.

October 13, 1998
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

11:34

A man slipped and slithered to the bottom of the Edge in torrential rain and high wind. He sustained relatively minor injuries.

May 11, 1999
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

19:19

2 men (38 & 50 yrs) became cragfast as they tried to complete the ridge in wet, greasy conditions.   They raised the alarm by mobile phone.

May 30, 1999
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

15:26

A man (30 yrs) was pulled off the Edge by his collie on a lead.  He fell about 25' receiving head injuries and lacerations.  He was airlifted by helicopter and his companion and 2 dogs were escorted to safety by the team.

August 18, 1999
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

16:08

A young couple became cragfast in cold and wet conditions.

September 4, 1999
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

12:27

A male fell runner (39 yrs) slipped and fell 150' down a gully.  He sustained chest, arm and leg injuries.  After treatment at the scene he was winched into a helicopter.

November 20, 1999
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

11:41

A lady (53 yrs) slipped and fell 50 - 100' down the usual gully, sustaining head injuries.  She was taken by helicopter to hospital in Carlisle.

January 16, 2000
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

12:12

A man (30 yrs) slipped from the Edge and fell down what has become known as the 'usual gully'.  He sustained serious multiple injuries.  A rescue helicopter was in the area training with Patterdale MRT and was able to airlift the casualty direct to Newcastle.

October 7, 2000
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

14:23

2 men encountered problems in wet weather, when one of them fell back on the other.  They both lost their nerve and mobile phoned for help.  Fortunately, other walkers following were able to assist them before the Team left.

October 15, 2000
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No

12:52

A woman (36 yrs) slipped on greasy rock and broke her wrist 20 metres before the 'bad step'.

November 4, 2001
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1994

12:22

A man (32 yrs) slipped from the ridge at the awkward step and full 40' into the 'usual gully'. He sustained multiple minor injuries and was airlifted to hospital by helicopter.

November 22, 2001
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 1998

12:35

A lady (50 yrs) slipped and fell into the usual gully, dislocating her shoulder. She was airlifted to hospital.

April 5, 2004
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2171

14:22

A walker called in because she had seen a couple of people shouting and seemingly in difficulties near the notch on Sharp Edge. Although the area was checked out by team members, nothing untoward was found. A false alarm with good intent.

March 19, 2005
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2231

12:28

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.

October 15, 2005
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2289 

13:15

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.

December 29, 2005
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2310
 

12:33

A young couple became cragfast and very cold when the snowy and icy conditions overwhelmed them. 2 members from Cleveland MRT managed to shelter them until we arrived with ropes to lower them from their predicament.

18 February, 2006
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2316

15:15

A passer-by encountered a group of 5 who were having  difficulties  on  the Edge in snowy conditions. By the time the Team had set off, she had managed to help them to the top of the mountain.
18 September, 2006
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2377

13:13

A man (21yrs)  and   his  partner (19 yrs)  became  cragfast on Foule Crag after descending to the Edge. Having attempted to get down the gulley on the north side, they then encountered greater difficulties so traversed into even worse ground. They were both lowered 40 metres by the team to the foot of the gulley and escorted down the fell.

7 February, 2007
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2401

12:27

A couple became frozen to the spot when traversing the Edge because of the icy conditions. A beautiful, sunny day for being on the tops, but lethal for the unprepared. The couple were asked to stay put until we reached them when we assisted them down with ropes and reassurance.

16 June, 2007
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2438

12:22

A man (43 yrs) stumbled while traversing the Edge and managed to dislocate his shoulder. We were assisted by a RN Sea King helicopter which airlifted the man to hospital in Carlisle.

30 December, 2007
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2486

13:13

A man (60 yrs) slipped and fell about 100' down the 'usual' gully. Despite the best attempts of those around him and the services of a RN Sea King helicopter, the man sadly died from the injuries he sustained.

29 August, 2008
Blencathra - Sharp Edge
Incident No 2535

14:43

A family of 3 (mother, father and 6-yr old daughter) simultaneously slipped while traversing the Edge and all fell over 100' down the 'usual gully'. 3 helicopters assisted in the rescue, as did RAF Leuchars MRT. Despite the well-resourced rescue, the mother sadly died. The father received minor injuries and the daughter, head injuries.

30 October 2008
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2566

11:53

We were called to assist 2 groups of walkers who had become cragfast on the final section of Sharp Edge, due to the wintry, icy  and  slippery  conditions. 3 men and a woman were in one group and a father and son in the other. All were safely roped back down and walked to safety.

9 January 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2580

14:13

A young couple (M28 & F25 yrs) got lost in the cloud on the summit area and wandered off the path (unknowingly) towards Sharp Edge. They were in cloud and extremely icy conditions, yet got themselves quite well down, but then became inextricably icebound! They provided us with a latitude and longitude fix from their mobile phone which we used to locate them.  We roped them up to safety and took them back to their car!

23 January 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2583

14:01

After shouts for help were heard by passing walkers, we located a man and a woman who had become stuck in bad ground in poor weather and icy conditions. They were roped to the top of the ridge and escorted down Scales Fell.

10 February 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2593

15:00

A man (37 yrs) became stuck when he realised that the icy conditions were against him when trying to traverse the Edge. Other walkers in the area raised the alarm. We helped him back and accompanied him back to the valley.

29  March 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

Incident No 2603

12:31

A man slipped and tumbled 75' down from the Edge towards Scales Tarn. As we were approaching, we became aware that there was a rescue helicopter training in the area. It was called to investigate and was able to winch the man up and take him to hospital with only minor injuries.

27  July 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

13:51

A man and a woman (both in their 50's) managed to fall from just below the 'awkward step' on the north side of the Edge. The alarm was raised by others in the vicinity. They had fallen about 20 metres. She had spinal and head injuries but he was relatively unscathed, although was unable to extricate himself. The Great North Air Ambulance assisted by ferrying team members to the summit of the Edge and the RAF Sea King was used for winching the casualties and taking them to hospital.

14  September 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

13:50

A man (43 yrs) got himself into a situation where he was unable to move and became 'frozen' with fear. His sister was with him. She phoned for help. Other walkers managed to help him out of his situation as the team was arriving on the scene.

7 November 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

12:56 3 people became cragfast in the wet and slippery conditions. The rest of the party had managed to get to the top. Meanwhile, other people on the Edge managed to help extricate the stricken group before we got to the scene.

27 November 2009
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

12:51 A man slipped on the wet rock and tumbled between 20 and 30 metres down into the usual gully. He sustained multiple fractures as well as a possible spinal injury. A Sea King rescue helicopter from RN Gannet dropped their winchman/paramedic off at the start of the Edge and we took him along the Edge with us to the gully. After treating the casualty at the scene, the stretcher was winched into the helicopter and flown to hospital Carlisle.

3 January 2010
Blencathra - Sharp Edge

16:51

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

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