Callout 34

Date: 2nd December 2023
Time: 1410
Location: Cross Fell, North Pennines
Penrith Team Members: 19
Duration: 8 Hours 25 Minutes
Incident Type: Rescue, Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team, North West Ambulance Service NHS, Maritime and Coastguard Agency

The Team received a call from Cumbria Police reporting a walker on Cross Fell who had sustained a lower leg injury. They were helped by two off-duty members of Oldham Mountain Rescue Team who happened upon them and provided them with shelter and support until the Team arrived, given the length of the carryout and the position of the casualty site high on the fell. A request was made to HM Coastguard to provide helicopter support.
Despite two valiant attempts over the evening, the low cloud base meant they were unable to assist us with the evacuation. Instead, a 3-mile stretcher evacuation was required through the snow in the dark.
Kirkby Stephen MRT was called to support in getting the casualty back down to Kirkland, where the casualty was transferred to an NWAS ambulance for onward travel to the hospital.

Our thanks also to both Teesdale & Weardale SMRT and Cave Rescue Organisation who were both assigned to this job at two different points due to a What 3 Words error that put the casualty's location in their respective areas.