29th Jan 15:35hrs
The first call out of the year was to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team to search for a party of three males, two of whom were reported as beginning to suffer from hypothermia. The party was reported to be somewhere on Crinkle Crags at the end of Langdale and search parties were deployed. L&A Team Members found the party on the shoulder of Bow Fell just to the north of Three Tarns. L&A and Kendal Team Members guided the party down The Band and back to the valley where their car was parked. We were all home by 20.00hrs.
15th February 17.00 hrs
The Team was called to assist the North West Ambulance Service, who were dealing with a male climber who had sustained a fall at Trowbarrow Quarry, Silverdale.
On arrival at scene it became apparent that the climber had fallen about 30 ft to the ground, sustaining possible spinal injuries and a fractured arm. He was lowered to the quarry floor and stretchered off to the waiting county ambulance for transfer to hospital.
17th February 13.50 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team to evacuate a female with a lower leg injury from Bracken Hause, Easedale. After treatment, she was carried from the Fell and transferred to hospital.
28th February 19.10 hrs
The Team was contacted by Police HQ after a member of the public reported seeing a new born lamb stranded on an island in the River Kent above Sedgwick. The Team mounted a search from the river bank but failed to locate the lamb.
9th March 18.00 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team to locate a party of two, one of whom was said to have a lower leg injury. An RAF helicopter was also called to assist in view of the forecast of storm-force winds after midnight. Both teams were ascending Rossett Gill when news came in that the RAF had managed to sneak in between the clouds and pick the party up from Ore Gap. So we all went down again!
23rd March 12.50 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team (who were still dealing with an earlier job) to evacuate a male with a lower leg injury from Brant Fell (above Bowness). The casualty was stretchered from the fell and taken to Westmorland General Hospital in our Mobile 2 vehicle.
24th March 13.50 hrs
The Team was contacted by the Police and asked to assist Cumbria Ambulance Service with the evacuation of a female with a very bad headache from Gummers How. The Team was deployed but the first team member arrived at the location of the incident just in time to see the casualty being loaded in to the Great North Air Ambulance and airlifted off to hospital.
30th March 17.30 hrs
The Team was paged by the Police and asked to assist a male with a left lower leg injury above Hallow Bank on the slopes of Kentmere Pike. The Team had just returned from a training exercise (photographs on the Gallery Page) and most members were on route home. The casualty was located, given pain relief, splinted and stretchered off the fell. He was then taken to Westmorland General Hospital in our Mobile 2 vehicle.
31st March 14.05 hrs
The Team was again paged by the Police and asked to assist a male with a severe chest injury following a fall close to the summit of Ill Bell. An RAF rescue helicopter was requested and the Langdale & Ambleside Team were also asked to assist in case the helicopter was unable to get in. Team members found the casualty to be in very severe pain and to have breathing difficulties. In spite of giving pain relief, it was impossible to winch the casualty in to the helicopter and so Rescue 131 had to “land on” (with 2 wheels touching) while Team members loaded the casualty on board. Rescue 131 then airlifted the casualty to hospital in Carlisle.
2nd April 21.20 hrs
The Team was asked to provide safety cover for the Police during an incident below Nether Bridge in Kendal where a youth was in the River Kent. The Team was mobilised including its Swift Water Rescue Team, in support of Police, Fire and Ambulance crews already on scene. The incident was resolved shortly afterwards when the youth was assisted up the river bank by the fire and rescue service.
26th April 15.00 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team to search for a missing walker who had become lost in cloud and cragfast somewhere on the Fairfield horseshoe. They were in telephone contact with the missing person who thought that he was on Heron Pike. L&A Team had searched Heron Pike, Great Rigg and Fairfield without success. Shortly after members of the Kendal Team were deployed to search up Low Pike and High Pike, the gentleman was located by L&A Team members on steep ground in Link Cove (just north of Hart Crag).
26th April 18.30 hrs
Shortly after returning to base from the previous callout, the Team was requested to assist the Penrith Team in searching for a group of four missing walkers in the Wet Sleddale area. Fortunately, the group turned up just as the Team was assembling so we did not miss our dinners.
30th April 08.25 hrs
The team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team with a group of 5 walkers who were reported to be hypothermic and in the vicinity of Esk Hause. Team members were deployed up Rossett Gill and up The Band and an RAF SeaKing was also deployed. The RAF located the group below Scafell in Eskdale and dealt with the incident. Team members returned to base at about mid day.
6th May 14.55 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team at an incident on Gibson Knott, Greenburn as they were already committed to another job (more on that later!!!). A lady with a knee injury was stretchered from the fell in absolutely beautiful weather for a change.
6th May 17.00 hrs
(approx)
At the end of the previous incident, the Team was asked to assist L&A on their other job which was turning out to be a lot more difficult than expected. A female climber (one of a group of three) had got her knee stuck in a crack in the rock on “A Route”, Gimmer Crag, Langdale. She had got stuck at about 12.30 hours and they called for help after spending about 90 minutes trying to solve the problem. L&A team members abseiled down the crag and found the knee to be well and truly stuck. It looked like a long job and Kendal team members were dispatched to the top and the bottom of the crag with additional equipment, food, water and lights. After repeated attemps to free the knee failed, the Cave Rescue Organisation and a SeaKing from RAF Boulmer were mobilised. The RAF (Rescue 131) lifted members of CRO and their specialist equipment to the top of the crag. Eventually the CRO managed to break off the rock flake that was trapping the climber and, uninjured, she managed to abseil off the crag and walk down to the valley as it was getting dark (about 2100 hrs). A good example of how a small mishap can turn into something of an epic even for experienced climbers. The brew and the hot pies at L&A’s base were much appreciated. Pity there was no soup!
8th May 14.36 hrs
Gimmer Crag again?! The team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team with a climber who had fallen, stripping out two runners, on Gimmer Crag in Langdale. The climber had broken his ankle in the fall and was evacuated to the valley for onward trasport to hospital.
13th May 02.40 hrs
Yes, 02.40 hrs! The Team’s Leader Group was paged and asked to join a serach for a missing person in the Farleton area. In view of the hour, it was decided not to call the whole team out at that stage. A small search team and a couple of search dogs were mobilised and were on route when the individual was found by the police at 03.14 hrs. All that adrenaline and nothing to do with it!!!
26th May 21.40 hrs
The Team was called to assist North West Ambulance at an incident near Huck’s Bridge, Borrowdale (North of Kendal). A 19 year old male had fallen from a quad bike into a gill sustaining multiple injuries including a suspected neck injury. Team members assisted the ambulance crew in carefully transporting the casualty up the steep bank of the gill to the waiting ambulance.
30th May 15.30 hrs
The Langdale & Ambleside Team called for our assistance to evacuate a female with an ankle injury from Crinkle Crags. The teams ascended The Band, the casualty was located and she was stretchered down in to Mickleden. At the top of The Band, however, the teams came across another casualty, this time a male with a knee injury. Three unfortunates (your’s truly included) were sent back down The Band to get a second stretcher and cas-bag. We got back up just in time to see an RAF SeaKing land and take off with the second casualty. Everyone thought that the helicopter was just going to drop the casualty and one of our team members in the valley bottom. However, the helicopter was already carying another casualty from an incident on Sca Fell (Wasdale Team’s job) and it was running short of fuel. So our casualty and team member found themselves on the helipad at Whitehaven Hospital. Their journey back from there …. now that’s another story!
31st May 12.40 hrs
The Team assisted a female runner on the Garburn Trail Race who experienced a reoccurance of a leg injury and had to withdraw from the race. She was given pain relief and transported back to the St John’s Ambulance Brigade at the event field in Staveley.
31st May 15.00 hrs
Another incident on the Garburn Trail Race. This time a male runner collapsed close to the end of the race and he was treated by team members, St John’s Ambulance, first responders and paramedics until an ambulance arrived.
3rd July 13:00hrs
It`s gone quiet again until now then Langdale Ambleside requested assistance with evacuation of an injured female from Nab Scar. 7 Personnell attended.
6th July 18:15hrs
2 children reported missing by father after beoming seperated on a walk in the Hutton Roof area. The children were found at Burton by a member of the public as the team were assembling at base.
15th July 21:45hrs
Cumbria Police requested the Team’s assistance to search for an elderly lady who was missing from her home in Kirkby Lonsdale. The team spent all night searching the town and the surrounding area, with our swift water rescue technicians searching the River Lune both on foot and using our inflatable boat. The search was co-ordinated from our Control Vehicle (Mobile 2) using our GPS tracking system. We were joined by the Cave Rescue Organisation at 6am who re-searched the river in daylight. Very sadly, the lady’s body was found by members of the public in Lake Windermere at Waterhead later that day and we assisted in the recovery as we happened to be passing on our way back from another incident in Langdale.
16th July 11:30hrs
Five team members were at base sorting out the equipment used during the previous night (and looking forward to some well-earned sleep!) when the Langdale & Ambleside Team were called to attend a serious incident on Pavey Ark. A man had fallen from Jack’s Rake and our offer of assistance was accepted. On reaching the New Dungeon Ghyll we set off up to Stickle Tarn with a stretcher. Unfortunately, the man was found to have died at the scene. A doubly sad day for all of us.
21st July 15:55hrs
The Team was called to Dent to assist the ambulance service in the evacuation of a gentleman with a knee injury. We were assisted by members of the Cave Rescue Organisation and stretchered the casualty to the waiting ambulance.
3rd August 15:30hrs
The Police paged the Team and asked us to assist in a search for a gentleman who had been missing for 4 days. His car had been found a short while before parked on a verge near Burton-in-Kendal. Team members, Police Officers and SARDA dog handlers mounted a search of woodland and, sadly, after a short while his body was located by search dog Kess. Team members assisted the Police with the recovery.
4th August 11.30hrs
The Team was called to rescue a dog (Jack Russell – Sam) that had fallen over the edge at Scout Scar. Our Team Leader (and the dog’s owner!!!!) went down on a rope and retrieved Sam who was a little frightened but un-injured. A job well done! Thanks also to Oli (Langdale Team) for his assistance as he was passing.
13th September 23.30hrs
Just after the Team had returned from parading around with the the Kendal Torchlight Procession we were called by the police to treat and evacuate an injured male walker at Whitestone Plantation, Ayside (near High Newton). A Police Officer was already with the casualty but he was some distance from the road in dense woodland on very steep ground. The walker was found to have a knee injury, he was wet and suffering the first signs of hypothermia. Pain relief was administered and he was stretchered to a waiting ambulance. The evacuation was very lengthy and difficult and the stretcher had to be back-roped most of the way. But at least it wasn’t raining!
25th September 07.45hrs
The Team was asked to assist Kirkby Stephen MRT on the third day of a search for a missing person in the South Stainmore area. As the Team was assembling, we were stood down with the good news that the missing person had been found near Brough and taken to hospital.
28th September 16.45hrs
The Team was called to help a young woman with an ankle injury about 500 metres from the summit of Yoke. The team’s two Land Rover vehicles drove to the top of the Garburn Pass and the troops went off to locate the casualty. Her ankle was splinted and she was stretchered back to the waiting Land Rovers. She was then transported back down to Kentmere and on to Staveley where she was transferred to a County Ambulance.
30th September 20.30 hrs
The Team was paged by the Police and asked to assist in a search for an elderly lady who was missing from a Nursing Home in Grange. The Team joined the Police, HM Coastguard and Bay Search & Rescue in a local search in very wet conditions. Unfortunately, she was not found and the search was suspended at about 1 am on 1 October. The Team re-assembled at 06.15 hrs on 1 October and fortunately the lady was found quickly at about 07.30 hrs. She was hypothermic and was taken to hospital in a County Ambulance. Thanks to Kirkby Stephen and Duddon & Furness MRTs for joining the search briefly on the morning of 1 October.
4th October 18.45hrs
The Team was called to assist a collapsed male on Scout Scar. In very heavy rain, he was treated and then stretchered off to a waiting County Ambulance.
Just as this incident ended at 20.30 hrs, the Team was put on standby to assist the Cave Rescue Organisation who were dealing with multiple incidents due to the adverse weather conditions. In the end, the Team’s assistance was not required.
12th October 14.00 hrs
Sometimes things happen in threes! We were called to assist the Langdale/Ambleside team who were dealing with a male who had fallen and sustained head injuries on Jack’s Rake, Pavey Ark. The casualty was treated and helped to the top of the Rake. He was then stretchered down the steep slope between Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle to the tarn below. As the light faded, the RAF managed to sneak in between the clouds and pick up the casualty for onward transfer to hospital.
While this was going on some of the team were diverted to Orrest Head, Windermere to assist an ambulance crew in getting an injured woman down to the road.
Also, on arriving back in the valley, we were approached by a woman who said that her husband was overdue from a walk up Crinkle Crags. Hearts sank! Fortunately, after a brief search he was located walking down the road between the ODG and the NDG Pubs.
24th October 14.50 hrs
The Team was requested by the police to assist with the recovery of a body from Skelsmergh Tarn.
26th October 00.20 hrs
Water, water everywhere! The Langdale & Ambleside Team had been searching all evening in horrendous conditions in the Great Langdale area for a party of three who were supposed to be walking from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel to Red Tarn and back. We were called to relieve them just after midnight and 23 Team members negotiated flooded roads and abandoned vehicles to reach Stool End Farm (via Grasmere due to the flooding). We (and a couple of hardy L&A lads) headed off on the search, each wearing a buoyancy aid and carrying a throw line due to the dangerous water conditions in all the gills. The clocks should have been put back at 2 am but nobody seemed keen to stop and play with their watches in the torrential rain. At about 3.15 am (or was it 2.15?) some team members heard shouting and our search dogs quickly indicated the location of the party. They were huddled together very wet and cold on the opposite side of Crinkle Gill, which was in full spate and looked like a good prospect for white-water rafting. Team members with throw lines were positioned down-stream to provide a safety back-up while other team members put on full swift water personal protection equipment including drysuits. The gill was crossed and the party were brought back across one at a time and taken on down to the team vehicles for dry clothes and warming up. Because of the difficulty of the rescue, it was around 5.30 am (or was it 4.30 am?) before we delivered them back to their hotel. The soup and nibbles back at base in Kendal were greatly appreciated – thanks to Pauline and Harry – and most of us were back in bed by 7.30 am (or was it 6.30 am?).
11th November 19.15 hrs
The Team was paged by the police and asked to assist Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service in a search for a woman who had apparently been swept away when her car went into the River Dee at Barth Bridge between Sedbergh and Dent. The river was in full flood following very heavy rain. The car itself had been washed downstream for about a mile. Team members were deployed, including our swift water rescue technicians, to search the banks of the Rivers Dee and Rawthey. SARDA were also deployed. The darkness and the river conditions made the task difficult and the search was suspended shortly after midnight.
The search was re-stared at first light on 12 November and we were joined by other MR teams. Sadly, the woman’s body was found at about 10.30 near Middleton Bridge on the River Rawthey about six miles from where she entered the water.
The Team would like to express its thanks to the local people in the area for their support and for their offers of refreshments during the prolonged search.
16th November 11.20 hrs
The police paged the Team and we were sent to Scout Scar to assist a fallen climber with a broken leg. Team members searched the top and the bottom of the scar but there was no sign of the casualty. Further enquiries were made and it was established that the casualty was in fact on Scout Crag in Great Langdale. The job was passed to the Langdale & Ambleside team and we went home for lunch.
14th December 14.30 hrs
A group of four walking the Kentmere Horseshoe became disorentated and separated in the vicinity of Thornthwaite Beacon. The police paged the Team and we dispatched a Land Rover to the top of the Garburn Pass, from where a search was commenced to the north across Yoke. Another Land Rover was sent up to Kentmere Reservoir. Two of the group walked off to the north, meeting civilisation at Hartsop and reporting themselves safe. The other two were spotted descending towards Kentmere Reservoir where they were picked up by Team members and transported back to their car at Kentmere. Their friends from the north had a fairly lengthy taxi ride!
28 December 2008 12.10 hrs
The Team was paged by the Police and asked to attend a male walker with an ankle injury close to the summit of Arant Haw (north of Sedbergh). Team members were on their way up the fell when the news came in that there was an RAF SeaKing in the area. This was called and the RAF lifted the casualty off and took him to hospital in Carlisle.
28 December 2008 17.50 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team who were busy with a difficult rescue on Bow Fell when they got a second job. We were asked to go to the assistance of a male with an ankle injury (clearly a good day for ankle injuries!) in Easedale. His ankle was splinted, he was stretchered from the fell and then transported to the Westmorland General Hospital in our Mobile 2 vehicle.