On Saturday 24th September at around 15.00hrs, whilst Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was already on a rescue near Red Tarn they were alerted to another request for assistance from North West Ambulance Service. A man had fallen around 20 metres into the gorge and water at Aira Force, sustaining injuries.

Part of the team left the first incident and travelled to Aira Force where they found the man being assisted by members of the public who had managed to climb down to him. Also on scene were Cumbria Fire and rescue, North West Ambulance Service and the Air ambulance. The Team’s health care professionals were lowered into the Gorge and proceeded to assess the casualty, providing immediate care and pain relief as the patient had sustained injuries to his head, shoulder and back.

Due to the nature of the incident and the precarious location, members of the fire service who were already kitted out in Swift Water Rescue suits and buoyancy aids also went down to provide safety cover. A technical rope system was then set up to haul the casualty out of the Gorge once he had been given treatment, stabilised and placed on the stretcher.

The casualty was then carried out of the falls and handed over to the ambulance crew to be taken to hospital for further treatment. The team wishes the man a speedy recovery from his injuries and ordeal. We would also like to thank the other services for their assistance in this difficult and time consuming rescue. The incident took just under 3 hours and involved 24 team members.

Aira Force is a popular place for members of the public and the Team has been to numerous incidents there this year. We would like to remind everyone to take care when near the edges of the waterfalls as they can be slippery.

On Saturday 24th September at 14.00hrs Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called by Cumbria Police with regard to a woman who had been walking down from Red Tarn on the main path back to Glenridding when she went over on her ankle. Fortunately the Team members were at Patterdale Base on their Casualty Care Course, ready for their exams in two weeks time, and were quickly dispatched to the scene.

On arrival the lady was assessed and treated for a suspected fractured ankle. She was given pain relief and carried down to a team Landrover. She was then transferred to her own vehicle and driven to hospital by her husband for further treatment. The team wishes her a speedy recovery and hopefully enjoy the rest of their holiday.

20 team members attended the rescue which took just over two hours.

Volunteers of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were called by Cumbria police to reports of a gentleman who had sustained an ankle injury. The man was located close to the Hole in the Wall, just before reaching Striding Edge. After attempts failed to reach the informant by mobile phone to ascertain medical updates so it was decided to call a Coastguard aircraft along with Penrith MRT.

Due to a rapid response from the Coastguard the man was treated on scene by their paramedic just as team members arrived. After treatment the patient was flown down to Patterdale playing fields from where, along with his companion, he made his was to hospital for a further check up. Thanks go the Coastguard and Penrith MRT for assistance.

On Tuesday 13th September at 17.00hrs the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called by Cumbria Police to assist a woman who had fallen near Lanty’s Tarn, Glenridding and sustained an ankle Injury. The Team responded and, fortunately, was able to drive a Landrover very close to the scene.

On arrival the lady, who was on holiday with her husband from Holland, was treated for a suspected fractured ankle, she was given pain relief and her ankle was splinted before she was placed on a stretcher and carried back to the Landrover. Once back at the Rescue Base the casualty was transferred to a North West Ambulance Service vehicle and taken to hospital for further treatment.

13 team members were involved in the rescue which took 2.5 hours. The Team wishes the casualty a swift recovery and hopes the couple can enjoy the rest of their holiday.

On Saturday 10/09/22 at 13:30 hrs the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called with regard to a female who had slipped and injured her ankle, unable to continue. The walker had been walking on Brock crags with her dog and was heading for Rest Dodd when she slipped and injured her ankle.

Passersby requested mountain rescue on her behalf and stayed with her and the dog until the team was on scene. The casualty was given pain relief and her ankle was stabilised with a vacuum splint. She was then evacuated down the fell to the team Landrover. The rescue lasted 3.5 hrs and involved 10 Patterdale and 4 Penrith team members.

We would like to thank our neighbouring team Penrith for assisting in this rescue.

On Monday 05/09/22 at around 18:30 the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out with regard to a walker who had fallen over and had a laceration to his head. The walker and his partner had been descending into the valley after walking Helvellyn via the ridges.

They were coming down into Grisedale via the Hole in the wall path when the man tripped and hit his head on rocks. The walker sustained a deep laceration. The team’s fittest doctor was first at the scene and fully assessed and bandaged the casualty’s wound. Fortunately he had remained conscious throughout and had not fractured anything.

The casualty was evacuated via strecher to a team landrover and was later taken to hospital by his partner. The rescue involved 16 team members and lasted 3.5 hours.

On Saturday 06/08/2022, the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team received a call out regarding a walker who had injured her ankle whilst descending Rest Dodd. The casualty and her companions had set off early that day from Hartsop for a walk around Brock Crags and surrounding peaks.

The casualty had slipped on a grassy track and injured her ankle, after which she was unable to walk and carry on. 10 team member responded and went up from Hayeswater. The team doctor stabilised the injury with a splint and the woman was then evacuated from the fell on a stretcher to the team landrover at the Hayeswater outflow.

The rescue lasted 3 hours.

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.