Incident Report #20 1992
20 year old man fell 30 feet whilst climbing and sustained spinal and pelvic injuries.
Incident Type
Location
Rock climbing
Incident Report #65 1993
Six students from Sussex became cragfast after being caught halfway up a very wet 'Great Gully' with only one torch between them. A late start, combined with lack of experience may have played a part.
Six hours later we went home.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #63 1993
A 23 year old man slipped and fell about 15ft while taking a photo of his fellow climbers. He sustained neck and leg injuries.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #45 1993
A 28 year old local man fell 100ft while leading a rock climb. He landed in a tree, sustaining mulitple injuries, including serious head injuries. His helmet probably saved his life.
His second recieved nasty rope burns to her hand and arm. The Sun newspaper carried photos and diagrams of this one.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #9 1993
Two male climbers were reported missing after climbing on Gimmer Crag. they were located making their own way down Mill Ghyll, without torches.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #73 1995
A couple had been climbing and had completed their route, when it went too dark to find their way down (without torches). They shouted for help for over 3 hours before anyone heard them. We went and found them and walked them down. They were unhurt. This type of incident seems to be popular this year. Not with us I might add.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #62 1995
Two men were climbing Gimmer Crack, a "Very Severe" rockclimb. One of them was unable to complete a pitch near the top. It went dark while he tried. His friend was unable to pull him up. He attempted to abseil down, but in the dark, missed the belay ledge and came to the end of the rope. At this point he became stuck. His friend managed to make his way down and raise the alarm. We located him, lowered a couple of climbers and enough rope down and lowered him to the bottom of the crag.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #57 1995
A 29 year old man suffered fatal head and neck injuries when he fell 100ft. from Crescent Climb, after a belay failed while abseiling. A helicopter from RAF Boulmer and manpower from RAF Stafford and Leeming assisted.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #54 1995
This man fractured his lower leg and damaged his knee when he slipped descending, after finishing a climb. He was splinted and carried to the valley.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #48 1995
This man fell while climbing and fractured both ankles and a big toe. He managed to abseil to the base of the crag, where we treated him and he was airlifted to hospital at Carlisle.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #39 1995
A climber sustained serious head injuries when he was hit on the head by a rock dislodged by his partner 70ft. above. He was helicoptered to Whitehaven by RAF Boulmer. He was not wearing a helmet. A small scale war was waged against the midges, but they won.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #25 1995
Called to assist the ambulance crew with a 20 year old man who had been practising a hard route in the quarry. He had completed it several times when the 'in-situ' tape sling broke, dropping him 25ft. to the ground. He fractured both wrists, his ankle, and sustained head and spinal injuries. NEVER RELY ON IN-SITU GEAR, REPLACE IT WHEN EVER POSSIBLE, WITH YOUR OWN. Close examination of this bit of sling revealed green mould on the side facing the rock, and the colour bleached out of teh other side by thje weather.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #37 1996
This man slipped while descending Middlefell Gulley, and fell about 20ft. sustaining rib and spinal injuries. He was immobilised in a full body splint and cervical collar and evacuated from the gully to hospital. We were assisted by members of Kendal MRT.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #79 1997
A couple of climbers were reported as overdue from climbing on this popular crag. A small search of the area was organised and they were found safe and well, but benighted. With the aid of our torches, they were helped to the valley bottom.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #69 1997
Every now and again a needless and tragic accident occurs, the victim of which will suffer for the rest of their lives. A 30-year-old man fell about 35ft. while climbing, suffering head, arm, leg and very serious spinal injuries in the process. He was lowered to the base of the crag by his second, and then treated by the Team, and evacuated by helicopter to Preston. His spinal cord had been severed. They had set out after dark, after allegedly consuming a substantial quantity of alcohol, and were climbing despite advice from friends.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #62 1997
A figure was reported as stationary on "Pluto", a popular and difficult rock climb. He was reported as being in this position for a long time. By the time we arrived he had moved on. We had a brief chat with two men descending from the crag and established that it was them who had been seen, and that no-one was in trouble. A complete lack of knowledge of rock climbing, and a pint or two of beer may have clouded our informants judgement slightly.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #58 1997
A 44-year-old woman slipped while descending from climbing and sustained a dislocated shoulder and knee injuries. She was treated on the hill and airlifted to Furness General Hospital by RAF Boulmer.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #34 2011
A male climber fell whiel demonstrating techniques to a group. He sustained a nasty head injury and a fracture/dislocated ankle. He was treated by team members, air and land ambulance paramedics and evacuated to the valley floor for onward transport to hospital by air ambulance.
Man Hours
12 team members for 2 hours
Incident Type
Location
OS Grid Reference
NY298067
Incident Report #15 1997
We were requested to assist Kendal MRT with the evacuation of a climber who had been hit by rock fall dislodged by his leader. The evacuation was through very thick and scratchy woods.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #14 1997
Two climbers were reported overdue after climbing on Gimmer Crag. A small number of Team members went up to the crag base and found them huddled together, having been caught out with no torch. They were escorted down.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #49 1998
A 35-year-old New Zealander fell 100 ft while climbing. He was treated at the scene and evacuated to Furness General Hospital by Helicopter.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #39 1998
A 45-year-old local man fell 40 ft from the third pitch of this route. He sustained a pneumothorax, surgical emphysema, multiple broken ribs, a bruised heart and a flail chest segment( and a small cut to his leg!). He was treated on scene and evacuated by helicopter to Furness General Hospital. He was in a very serious condition and required paralysing and ventilating in intensive care for several days.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #26 1998
A man descending a gully after completing a climb took a tumble and sustained injuries to his spine, leg and hand. He was immobilised with our vacuum mattress and a cervical collar and evacuated to the valley bottom. It turned out that he had fractured his C5 and C6 vertebrae. It's a good job we didn't let him walk down, as he wanted to.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #30 2011
The team were called to a climber who had fallen a considerable distance from the top of Raven Crag, Walthwaite. He fell around 75 metres, sustaining serious multiple injuries. His second also sustained minor injuries , including rope burns, because he was pulled off his stance. We worked with paramedics, air ambulance and RAF to treat and evacuate the man
Incident Type
Location
OS Grid Reference
NY325057
Incident Report #47 1999
A 30-year-old woman was abseiling from a rock climb when her belays failed. She fell 60ft before coming rest on a ledge in a gully. The team worked for several hours to get her out, and then she was airlifted to hospital in Carlisle with multiple injuries. Two climbers in the vicinity went to her aid soon after her fall, and stayed with her the whole time. Their actions are worthy of praise; having suffered cold and rock falls to assist.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #49 2000
Three climbers were benighted part way up Middlefell Buttress when they set off to late to complete their climb in daylight. They could not find a way off the crag. They flashed their only light to attract attention and phoned for help on a mobile phone. We went up the descent gulley, and brought them back down the same way.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #45 2000
A 47-year-old man was descending from a climb when he was hit by a very large boulder falling down the gulley. He sustained a very serious fracture to his lower leg. He was treated at the scene and airlifted to Carlisle Hospital by RAF Boulmer. Considering the number of people enjoying the fine weather in the area, we were lucky to not have to deal with other injured people. Sadly, we later learned that due to the severity of his injuries, his foot had to be amputated.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #16 2000
A 21-year-old local student took a tumble while descending from a rock climb. He was reported as having fallen 100 metres. He had been unconscious, but his friend was helping him down. We treated his very obvious head injuries and shipped him off to hospital at Lancaster. He was later transferred to Preston for surgery on his depressed fractured skull.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #32 1974
Male (25), of Ashington, fell twenty feet while leading a rock climb on Upper Scout Crag, Langdale. He received a broken ankle, bruises and shock. The team carried him down the fell on a stretcher and he was taken to the County Hospital, Kendal.
Footnote: The cause of this accident is unknown and there is nothing to report.
Weather conditions: Dull with drizzle, with wet rocks.
Incident Type
Location
Incident Report #29 1974
Male (25), of Middlesex, fell twenty feet while leading last pitch on Middle Fell Buttress, Langdale. He received a broken ankle, shock and slight exposure. The team lowered him on a stretcher 120 feet and then a further 200 feet down a steep gulley and then he was taken to the County Hospital, Kendal.
Footnote: Footwear and clothing were only fair. This rescue was carried out in the dark.
Weather conditions: Raining, with low mist.
Incident Type
Location
