On Monday the 1st of August 2022 the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out after a walker had fallen on Striding Edge. The lady had been walking with her partner on Striding Edge heading for the Helvellyn summit. Whilst negotiating the “bad step” the woman lost her footing and fell around 10 metres down the rocky chute, sustaining serious injuries.

In addition to the Patterdale team, the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAAS) and Rescue 199 coastguard helicopters responded. The GNAAS helicopter landed on the Helvellyn summit and their medics arrived first on scene to treat the casualty’s injuries. Rescue 199 landed at Red Tarn and flew Patterdale members to near the scene.

Once the casualty had been treated and stabilised by the medics she was transferred to a stretcher and then winched off the mountain by Rescue 199. She was then flown to the RVI in Newcastle for further treatment. The team would like to thank GNAAS and the Coastguard for some great team work which made this another efficient rescue.

We also wish our casualty a rapid recovery and hope to see her walking in the Lakes again very soon. The rescue involved 13 Patterdale Team members and lasted 4 hours.

At 13.45 hrs on Saturday 16th July Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called by Cumbria Police to assist an elderly lady who had slipped whilst traversing Striding Edge and taken a fall. The Leader on call initiated the response by the team and due to her injuries, the location and the hot weather requested a Coastguard SAR helicopter to assist.

Team members ascended on foot to Striding Edge whilst the helicopter from Prestwick arrived on scene. The lady was treated at the scene for shoulder and arm injuries including a fractured wrist. She was winched into the helicopter and flown to Hospital for further treatment. The team would like to thank the coastguard for their assistance, this saved a long and very hot evacuation as the weather was extremely hot.

The rescue took just over 3 hours and involved 12 team members.

At 13:20 on Monday 4th July 2022, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team received a call from the Cumbria Police to assist a 67 year old woman from Reading who had slipped whilst out walking near Aira Force with her husband. 12 team members responded to the callout.

The woman’s injured ankle was assessed and splinted and she was stretchered back to her car, from where her husband drove her to Penrith Minor Injuries Unit. The callout lasted about 2 hours.

On Sunday 12th June at 16.20hrs whilst members of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were out on another rescue on Striding Edge the team was made aware, by Cumbria Police, of a woman who had fallen from a path and ended up in the water down a steep ravine in Aira Force.

Five team members who were able to respond to this incident attended with one team Landrover with rescue equipment. A request was made to Penrith Mountain Rescue to assist and they responded with 12 team members. The flady was extricated from the river using a rope system and hauled onto the river bank where she was treated as she was cold and wet.

Fortunately, she had not suffered any injuries, despite a fall of considerable distance into the river. The rescue lasted 2 hours, after which team members returned to Patterdale Base to sort all the wet kit from both jobs, making it a long afternoon. Thanks to Penrith Mountain Rescue for their attendance in this rescue.