Incident Report #9 2014

A woman sustained a nasty lower leg fracture when she slipped on a frozen ground. There was initial difficulty in working out where they were. Their starting point was initially reported inaccurately. We eventually worked out where they were and located them. Lack of suitable clothing for the wet, wintry conditions led both people to get very cold, and they should consider themselves lucky to have been located so quickly.
Man Hours
14 team members for 4 hours, plus Kendal MRT
Incident Type
Location
OS Grid Reference
NY355077
Unique Incident ID
3162
Safety Tip

Make sure you can navigate

It is essential that you can navigate.

Relying soley on a GPS, either free standing, or software on a smart phone, is a hazardous strategy, and can land you in trouble.

Being able to orientate a map to the ground you're are on, recognise features on the ground as they appear on a map and being able to tell you direction of travel and distance travelled are skills that not only make remote area travel safer, but it is also VERY satisfying.

If your party gets lost, you cannot blame someone else for navigation errors. It's EVERYONES responsibility!

Courses are available and they are often taught on a day out, so you don't waste time sat in a classroom.

The ability to navigate and keep moving in poor visibility, extreme weather, darkness and in unfamiliar terrain is a vital skill.

Not taking a map and compass in the first instance is unforgivable!