Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called in to “rescue the rescuers” after bad weather set in on Scafell Pike last week.
Five members of the local team assisted in the evacuation on Thursday night of a Great North Air Ambulance Service helimed doctor and paramedic.
With the GNAAS unable to land on the rock-shattered summit, the pair had originally been flown to the top of the fell by the Wales-based Coastguard helicopter and then winched down to treat a seriously ill casualty on the Corridor Route
The Coastguard helicopter had then returned to the valley floor but the cloud then fell below the summit level meaning it could not return to collect the GNAA’s team or casualty.
The main rescue was carried out by Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team – its second of the day on England’s highest peak.
But with conditions deteriorating and light fading, Keswick MRT were called in at around 6.50pm to ensure the GNAA team got down the mountain safely via a walk down to Seathwaite.
They were led down in drenching rain and gusty winds and driven back to the GNAA-base at Langwathby by a member of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team who did not get home until 1.30am
Earlier that day, Keswick MRT had assisted its neighbours in Cockermouth and the Coastguard with a rescue at Great End, part of the Scafell range.
A man had started to ascend but soon realised that the path was too steep for him to continue and he became “crag fast” – unable to continue up or descend back down.
He called 999 and the Keswick team was alerted and asked the Cockermouth team to assist.
Three Keswick team members made their way up from Seathwaite to the base of the gully, while the Cockermouth team were flown by Coastguard helicopter to the top of Great End.
With the casualty located in Cust’s Gully, the two teams were able to reach the casualty and carefully walk him down using rope protection.
The uninjured man was walked to Styhead Tarn by the Keswick team and was able to continue his descent to Wasdale where he was staying.
On the afternoon of Sunday, October 10, a 64-year-old man was reported to be suffering severe chest pains and had difficulty breathing whilst walking on Catbells.
The GNAA attended and requested support from Keswick MRT with the helicopter landing on the ridge of Catbells.
Keswick MRT made their way up to the casualty whilst the helicopter relocated to a field below the lake side road. The man was stretchered down to the helicopter and then transported to Carlisle hospital for further treatment.
Wasdale MRT has said the first two weeks of October have been “exceptionally busy” with 12 incidents in the first nine days.
Five occurred on a single day and within four hours of each other and were on Scafell and Scafell Pike.
