Fallen Walker on Striding Edge

As team members were assembling for another incident, a second call came in, alerting the team to a 24 year old man who had fallen off Striding Edge, Helvellyn. Due to the potential serious nature of the Helvellyn incident, the team asked for assistance from Penrith Mountain Rescue Team to handle the first incident, so that resources could be redirected.

Strong winds, heavy rain and poor visibility meant that an Air Ambulance had to turn back before reaching Helvellyn and assistance from a coastguard helicopter was also requested. The Helvellyn casualty was located below Striding Edge in the area of the “bad step”, having fallen approximately 10m down towards Red Tarn. On reaching the scene, the casualty was treated for back, pelvis and ankle injuries – he was given pain relief, placed in a full body splint, packaged in a casualty bag and strapped into a stretcher.

Once on the stretcher he was hoisted back onto the ridge where, during a weather window, the coastguard helicopter was able to winch him onboard. Two companions of the casualty were then walked off the hill, having become cold and mildly hypothermic. The two rescues took 6 hours and involved 13 members of Patterdale MRT, 9 members from Penrith MRT, 2 members from Kirkby Stephen MRT and a Coastguard helicopter.