Incident Reports 1988

Two walkers found the badly decomposed body of a man. The Team recovered the body believed to be that of the gentleman who went missing in Aug/Sept (call-out no. 45).

A man reported static lights on Jack's Rake. A small party went to investigate as the informant was sure somebody needed help. Nobody was found in need of help and no lights were seen.

The Team and other teams provided transport and communication facilities for both SARDA (England) and SARDA (Scotland). SARDA search dogs accounted for 111 bodies found over a wide area, in a disaster which claimed the lives of 269 people.

'Static' lights were seen by 3 people in Ambleside. A small party investigated but found nothing.

A 30 year old man was reported missing by his girlfriend. Two small search parties and one SARDA member searched the Crinkle Crags area but found nothing. The man turned up safe and welt the following day (1 /12/88) having spent the night on High Raise, Great Langdale.

Two people heard what they thought were cries for help. The Team searched the area but found nothing. It transpired that local farmers had been gathering sheep in that area.

Another fractured lower leg/ankle, this time to a 58 year old woman. Evacuated by Team Landrover.

A 59 year old man slipped on an ice covered path and sustained a fractured lower leg /ankle. Stretchered to waiting ambulance.

A 27 year old woman became cragfast on frozen scree covered with ice and snow. She was escorted off the hill. Experience a little dubious.

A lone walker heard what he thought were cries for help. A small party searched the area but found nothing.

The Team went to the assistance of a 66 year old woman who had slipped and sustained a fractured ankle.

The Team went to the assistance of a 66 year old woman who had slipped and sustained a fractured ankle.

Severe gales and heavy rain destroyed the tents of 5 teenage girls camping at Angle Tarn. Most of their clothing etc. was also blown away. Two girls raised the alarm and the Team and an RAF helicopter brought the remainder of the party off the fells. They were suffering from exposure.

A 63 year old woman fell and received serious head injuries. The informant dialled 999 at 5.10 pm but due to circumstances beyond the Team's control, the Team was not called until 6.37 pm by which time the casualty had been escorted off the hill.

'Flashing' lights were reported, on investigation they turned out to be from a group of college students camping. Nothing to worry about.

A 63 year old woman fell off the top of a stile receiving back and pelvic injuries. Evacuated to waiting ambulance.

A 65 year old man collapsed and died on a walk. The Team recovered his body.

The Team assisted a 60 year old woman who had slipped on a wet path and sustained a fractured left ankle.

The Team assisted by Wasdale MRT, Keswick MRT, Eskdale OBMS and SARDA, searched for a party of 5 adults and 4 teenage girls who failed to return from a walk to Scafell. They were found by search dog at Broad Stand near Scafell. They were attempting to complete Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon within the weekend, although they had already failed on Ben Nevis due to the poor weather conditions. Poor judgement by the teachers was main cause of this incident.

A 30 year old woman collapsed with exposure. Carried to waiting ambulance. This was another wet, windy and cold day.

A 15 year old youth developed exhaustion/exposure during a fell running event. A small party of Team and Kendal MRT members carried him off the fell. This was a very wet and windy day.

A 50 year old woman (who has helped the Team on many occasions with her culinary skills), left home suffering from depression. The Team searched roads, laybys etc. She returned home later that evening safe and well.

A 43 year old man had gone missing from home on 7/8/88, his car was found at the Stickle Barn car park 22/9/88. The Team assisted by many other teams and SARDA, involving some 90 personnel, searched the area with negative results.

'Flashing' lights were seen on Scout Crag. A small party went to investigate and found 4 women climbers (aged 40-60) who had finished their climb rather later than anticipated. All were unhurt and nobody was in any difficulty.

A 23 year old woman member of a party of 6, was hit by falling rocks as she was ascending the gully, sustaining serious head, chest and back injuries. The Team lowered the stretcher for 150 feet down the gully then carried her to waiting ambulance.

The Team and Keswick MRT responded to a report that a middle-aged gentleman was very ill. He was located by RAF helicopter at the head of Far Easdale, flown to Ambleside Health Centre for check up. Possible virus infection.

A 27 year old man fell 150 feet whilst descending the screes, receiving a broken arm and head injuries. He was escorted off the hill and taken to the ambulance station by Team ambulance.

A 16 year old girl, under instruction, slipped while crossing the gill, suffering a lacerated knee and injured knee cap. Evacuated to awaiting ambulance.

An 81 year old woman slipped and sustained a fractured lower leg.

A 17 year old female member of group collapsed from heat exhaustion, mainly due to the fact that her rucksack was very heavy and she was somewhat unfit. The Team was unable to contact the group's 'supervisors' until 6 hours later.

The Team attended yet another fractured lower leg, this time to a 63 year old woman.

Poor footwear may have caused a 51 year old woman to slip and sustain a fractured lower right leg.

The Team assisted a 51 year old man who had slipped and sustained a fractured lower leg.

A 55 year old man slipped and fell about 50 feet in very wet conditions receiving head, spinal and neck injuries.

the Team, SARDA. and Keswick MRT mounted a search for two 18 year old men who failed to return to Langdale from a walk to Scafell. They returned to Langdale at 2.30 am 24/7/88 having gone down to Borrowdale at 7.30pm the previous evening! Very limited experience and very poor equipment featured strongly in this call out.

The Team, assisted by Kendal MRT, went to the assistance of 6 young people aged 17-24 years, in very wet cold conditions. One person had minor leg injuries and the rest suffered from exhaustion/exposure. Limited experience and poor judgement probably caused this incident.

A 30 year old man decided to make his way off Pavey Ark by one of the climbs, becoming cragfast 40 feet above Jack's Rake. He was lowered to the Rake and escorted off the hill unhurt but very lucky.

A 24 year old man fell whilst scrambling and dislocated a shoulder. He was given pain reducing drugs and conveyed to waiting ambulance.

A 57 year old woman slipped and fractured her lower leg. Conveyed to waiting ambulance.

Whilst rescue no. 26 was in progress, 9 Team members had to be diverted to assist a 68 year old woman with a fractured lower leg.

25 Team members were involved for 3 hours when a 33year old man fell 40 feet from 'F' route, sustaining back, leg and buttock injuries.

The Team were called in the early hours to a 17 year old youth suffering from acute kidney pains. He had already been treated for the same illness 2 months previously.

The Team were requested to assist Police to recover the badly decomposed body of a Windermere man missing for about 6 weeks.

During rescue no. 22 we were informed that a 44 year old man had torn knee ligaments in both knees. Part of the Team were diverted to this incident.

The Team went to the assistance of a 21 year old man who dislocated his knee cap. They administered pain reducing drugs and conveyed the man to Ambleside ambulance station.

A 37 year old man slipped on a stone, fracturing his left ankle. Stretchered to Old Dunqeon Ghyll.

A 61 year old Ambleside woman fell off the path and sustained arm and knee injuries. Taken to hospital by ambulance.

On a day of persistent severe electrical storms, reports that a party of four people had been hit by lightning reached the Team. Upon the Team's arrival it was found that one person had died and the others were suffering from minor injuries/burns. A RAF Helicopter assisted with the evacuation.

Twenty-two Team members went to the assistance of a 'large gentleman' (reputed to be 6 feet 4 inches and 17 stone) who had slipped and fractured his right lower leg/ankle.

The Team was called to a 12 year old girl member of a school party who had a serious asthma attack. She recovered enough to walk down.

A 49 year old woman slipped on wet grass and sustained a broken lower leg. She was carried off the hill and transported to the Team's Base by Team ambulance and transferred to county ambulance.

Inexperience probably led a 17year old London youth to 'have ago' at scrambling. The resulting 180 feet fall down a rock face left him with two broken lower legs/ankles (one compound), spinal and head injuries. The Team gave First Aid to the casualty and evacuated him to an awaiting ambulance.

The Team gave First Aid to a middle-aged woman who had slipped and broken her right ankle. Transported to hospital by private car.

A 14 year old youth slipped breaking his left arm; the informant gave incorrect location and travelled 2 miles more than necessary before raising the alarm, resulting in a considerable delay.

A 25 year old woman collapsed at Stickle Tarn and was carried part way down Mill Gill by friends. The Team stretchered the casualty off the hill. (Possible virus infection.)

Two climbers were reported to have been avalanched in North Gully. The Team was called to investigate, nothing found but other climbers said that two climbers were avalanched 500 feet and walked away unhurt.

A 20 year old man, part of an Outward Bound Group, slipped on snow and ice at Ore Gap sustaining head injuries from his ice axe. He continued down suffering bouts of unconsciousness before finally collapsing. Search dogs assisted in locating the casualty who was flown to hospital by RAF Helicopter.

During heavy rain a 60 year old man fell in Browney Gill receiving serious head and spinal injuries. The Team assisted by KendalMRT performed a very difficult and prolonged evacuation, hauling the stretcher out of the gill and crossing flooded rivers to reach the road.

Many people from several Teams were involved in the search for the search dog 'Loch' who went missing during incident 7. Loch, whose handler is a member of LAMRT, was found safe and well.

The Team along with other Teams and a Helicopter, assisted the Patterdale Team in a massive search for a 57 year old Liverpool man who failed to return during the blizzards of the previous day. Incredibly after being missing for 24 hours he was found alive but unfortunately died shortly afterwards.

The Team was requested to take baby food to the Kirkstone Pass Inn where two families had been stranded in the blizzards of the previous day. The Team's specially equipped Land Rover reached the pass and brought the families back to Windermere Police station.

Three middle-aged men were reported to be in difficulties in atrocious weather conditions. The Team found them at Thresthwaite Mouth suffering from exhaustion/exposure, they were escorted to safety.

Team members assisted Coniston MRT when three people fell a considerable distance down a gully in blizzard conditions. Two were uninjured and the third sustained a broken leg and back injuries. A Helicopter from RAF Boulmer flew the injured to hospital.

A 39 year old Ambleside man fell 50 feet down a snow filled gully sustaining a compound fracture to an ankle. The Team stretchered the casualty to waiting Ambulance in Patterdale.

Flashing lights were seen on Wansfell by numerous people. On investigation it was found that two boys had been flashing the distress signal. Nobody was in need of assistance but the Team escorted the group off the hill.

Two flares were seen in the Low Pike area by a local man. Team members searched the area but nothing was found. Search called off at 11.30 prn.