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!