On Sunday 12/01/2025 at 1400hrs the team were tasked by Cumbria Police to rescue an exhausted walker who had been located on the top of Hartsop Above How. Passersby had come across a lone walker in his seventies who was exhausted and cold and had lost course. The walker had set off from Ambleside that morning around 09oo hrs and had planned a circular walk. When he was located he did not have the strength to continue in the deep snowy conditions. Initially the passersby had attempted to assist him off the fell, however after a while the exhausted and very cold walker was unable to stand up or move. The team responded quickly and a coastguard helicopter was also requested due to the high risk of  hypothermia. Due to deep snow on the ground it took 1hr30min for the team to reach the casualty. In the meantime a coastguard helicopter which had been dispatched from Caernarfon also arrived in the area, however due to the low cloud was unable to land anywhere near the scene. The helicopter diverted to land at the Patterdale base waiting for a break in the weather. Meanwhile the cold casualty was wrapped in a casualty bag with heat packs and a vapour barrier to prevent further heat loss and he was put on a stretcher. The team then set off hauling the stretcher through the snow to evacuate the casualty off the fell. Due to the deep snow and difficult terrain progress was very slow. Fortunately the coastguard crew who had been following progress, decided to attempt a second landing and this time were successful. The casualty was then flown to Carlisle hospital for further treatment. Needless to say the team are very grateful to the coastguard crew who recognised the difficult conditions the team were operating in and who stood by patiently until they could assist.

Around 10:30 am on the 5th of January, the Team received information from Cumbria Police  that a fell walker who had been camping out had found three abandoned tents.
The previous evening the fell walker saw lights at the same location.
Later that evening a Patterdale Mountain Rescue Deputy Leader had seen lights descending the fell near that location.
With no further reports of missing people, the team were stood down.
Please consider the weather, what  equipment you have and if you have the correct experience for your adventure.
Visit adventuresmart.uk for advice.

Cumbria Police passed on a call from a party of three reporting themselves lost on Helvellyn. The Team was placed on standby, but from the GPS data on the 999 call it was clear that the group were close to the path between Lower Man and Whiteside Bank.

The Duty Leader spoke to the party, provided reassurance and directed them back to the path. The party was asked to share their live location via WhatsApp to allow monitoring of their progress. When the party was on the track to Greenside the Team was stood down.

The Team was contacted by Cumbria Police following a report that a man was possibly in trouble on Helvellyn. He had been reported missing by his wife who had been tracking his progress from home and noticed that his position hadn’t changed for a few hours.

Contact was made with the informant and it was established that the man was out on his bike with his black labrador. The police located his vehicle in Grasmere where he had been staying. The Team requested the assistance of Search Dogs, Keswick MRT and LAMRT to search the various routes up to the location close to the summit of Helvellyn being communicated by the man’s phone.

Low cloud and high winds prevented the Coastguard Helicopter from joining the search. At about 01:00 hours, battling atrocious weather, Patterdale and Keswick Team Members managed to find the man’s bike and phone close to the edge of the summit plateau. However, there was no sign of the man or his dog. At around 01:30 hours, with conditions deteriorating, the difficult decision was made to call off the search until first light.

The last party cleared the fell at about 03:30 hours. Day 2 At 08:00 hours members from Cockermouth, Penrith, Kirkby Stephen and Patterdale Teams resumed the search. A rope system was set-up to enable them to descend the headwall to facilitate a search of the area where the man was suspected to have fallen. In the late morning it was confirmed that the dog had been found alive and well on a ledge.

Shortly afterwards the man was located, and it was confirmed that he had died as a result of the injuries sustained in his 180 metre fall. The casualty was recovered and transported back to Patterdale Base to be handed over to Cumbria Police.

The Team was asked to investigate a report of lights on the fellside. A party walking above Aira Force had observed a light appearing to flash some miles away towards the Dodds. There was no pattern to the flashing and the light appeared to be moving, occasionally disappearing completely.

A Team Member in the area observed a light descending Great Dodd towards High Row. From the rate of descent, it was believed to be a mountain biker. Since the area has phone reception and no further request for assistance was received the incident was closed.

Cumbria Police asked the Team to assist a walker who had lost their way between Aira Force and Glencoyne. The walker, from the USA, was contacted by a Team Deputy and guided back to her intended destination.

Cumbria Police had received a call from a couple reporting themselves lost on the Helvellyn range. In low cloud and rain, they had become disoriented and thought they were somewhere near to Nethermost Pike. The couple were uninjured, had a torch and suitable clothing, so were given directions off the fell via Dollywagon Pike and Grisedale Tarn.

Meanwhile, the Team was placed on standby. The couple’s progress was monitored and contact was made at various points to ensure that they were on the correct route. Eventually, the couple arrived safely in the valley bottom and their vehicle.

Cumbria Police contacted the Team to report a fell runner missing in poor visibility. A party of three runners had been approaching the summit of The Knight when contact was lost with the slowest of the group. It was agreed with the police to place the Team on standby pending renewed phone contact with any of the runners.

On returning to their vehicle, the missing runner was also back at the car.

Cumbria Police requested the Team investigate a report of flashing lights. It was established that there were multiple lights, indicating several individuals, and that there was no clear pattern to suggest that they were a signal. Since the area has good mobile coverage and there were no reports of parties overdue in the vicinity it was agreed, with the informant and the police, that no further action would be taken.

The Team was contacted by Coniston MRT who had been passed the incident in error. Overcome by darkness, two walkers had reported themselves lost on the Coast- to-Coast route between Patterdale and Grasmere. As their phone was registered overseas, the exact location couldn’t be ascertained.

Personnel from Patterdale were sent up Grisedale to clear the paths to the tarn while personnel from Langdale Ambleside MRT were sent up Tongue Gill and Raise Beck. The walkers were located on the Grasmere side of the fell at approximately 22:45 hours and escorted to their accommodation by members of the Langdale Team.