3rd Jan 15:00hrs, 4th Jan 07:00hrs
The first call out of the year was to search for a missing canoeist who got into difficulties when his canoe overturned, assisted by Police Dogs, Search & Rescue Dogs, Cave Rescue Bowland Pennine Team Cumbria Fire Service North West Ambulance & RAF Helicopter over a 2 day search it is with regret that the body of the missing person was found about 4 miles downstream from the accident.
22nd Jan 22:30hrs
Police requested the assistance of the team to search for a missing female in the Gummers Howe area. Search dogs were called to assist but as they assembled the missing person was located quite quickly by the crew of a police helicopter using thermal imaging.
The team administered first aid to the casualty and evacuated her to a waiting ambulance.
21st Feb 16:30hrs
A request to assist an elderly local farm owner who had fallen whilst out walking.
He was found by family members after they had become concerned that he had not arrived home.
Because of the technical aspects of evacuation and the concern that he may have had a back injury an RAF helicopter was used to airlift him from the scene of the accident. He was later released from hospital thankfully with no major injuries
23rd Feb 21:00hrs
The Team was fully involved with a rail disaster near Grayrigg, several team members assisted as a forward control point to monitor rescuers arriving and tasking to various jobs.
One main role along with other teams was to stretcher casualties to waiting helicopters after they had been seen by doctors.
Later on during the night a search was conducted of surrounding fields for any persons who may have wandered away from the scene.
Many other Lake District teams also assisted at the scene and there were in excess of 70 personnel from various teams on standby in Kendal in case further help was required.
The following day a second search was carried out in daylight over the same area as the night before, and most of the evening was spent sorting and drying equipment that was used.
3rd March 18:30hrs (1)
Whilst most of the team were on winter training in Scotland 5 team members who did not go, attended a Langdale /Ambleside search for 2 walkers missing on route from Coniston to Langdale
They were found tired and cold in the Crinkle Crags area, and escorted off the fell.
3rd March 18:30hrs (2)
Same time same day 3 Kendal team members assisted in the evacuation of a casualty with reported lower leg injuries, she was evacuated from Dove Crag and transported to Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.
18th March 12:00hrs
The team were call to a report of an unconscious woman on Hutton Roof, The air ambulance was on route, and the team was stood down after deploying the first vehicle. The woman was actually found on Arnside Knott and a local GP was in attendance.
26th March 12:15hrs
A woman slipped whilst crossing a stream in the Howgils, the team managed to get a vehicle very close to here. She was treated on scene for a suspected broken ankle and transported to hospital in Kendal
3rd April 15:00hrs
Langdale / Ambleside team requested assistance in evacuating a female with lower leg injury from Silver Howe near Grasmere
She was treated by Langdale Team and taken to hospital in Kendal by Kendal Team.
7th April 14:30hrs
The team went to the assistance of a gentleman who landed badly after jumping off a wall, whilst out walking with his wife and daughter near Kendal.
He was treated for a suspected fracture of the right ankle and transported to hospital in Kendal by team vehicle. It was fortunate that the team were able to drive to the casualty, therefore the whole call out only took an hour or so to complete. (Wish they were all like that)
26th April 13:00hrs
Langdale / Ambleside team requested our help to assist with an injured casualty in the Loughrigg area of Ambleside. The team also had no communications for a short period. The gentleman with a suspected ham string injury, was assisted from the fell, he declined transport to hospital and made his own way with friends back to Leeds.
14th May 16:30hrs
Whilst training with SARDA one Team member joined LAMRT to stretcher of an injured Swiss walker from Upper Easdale to Brimmer Head Farm.
26th May 16:30hrs
Langdale / Ambleside team requested our help to assist with an injured casualty in the Bright Beck area of Great Langdale. The Team was stood down whilst en route to the incident.
6th June 09:30hrs
Langdale / Ambleside team requested our help to assist with an injured casualty in the Stickle Tarn area of Langdale. The Team sent Mobile 2 with 5 members onboard to assist. A 22 year old female from the Southport area, who had been camping at Stickle Tarn, was stretchered from the fell with an injury to her right ankle.
9th June 15.35hrs
The Team was called to assist an 81 year old female who had sustained a suspected fracture to the neck of her right femur, whilst walking on Scout Scar. She was stretchered from the fell and transferred to County Ambulance for onward transport to hospital in Lancaster.
15th June 12:35hrs
The Team was called to assist in the search for a 62 year old man, missing from his home in Cartmel. SARDA were requested to provide search dogs and Duddon and Furness Team were asked for their control vehicle with mobile GPS tracking capabilities. The man was located whilst the Team was on route to the incident, and dealt with by Ambulance personnel.
16th June 14:45hrs
The Team was called to assist a 61 year old female who had slipped and fractured her ankle on a footpath at Settlebeck, to the north of Sedbergh. The lady was stretched from the fell to a team Ambulance and taken to Westmorland General Hospital.
14th July 12:50hrs
Langdale Ambleside requested help with the evacuation of a casualty with a knee injury from the summit of Pike O Blisco
The team deployed one vehicle and held further personnel at base until it was confirmed that there were enough people to deal with the incident
17th July 19:15hrs ( 1 )
The Ambulance service requested the Team to assist with the evacuation of a mountain biker who had taken a fall from his Bike on a track near Winster Windermere.
Whilst the team were on route the biker made his own way down to the road and had met the Ambulance.
17th July 21:00hrs ( 2 )
The second incident of the day was again to assist the Ambulance Service with the evacuation of a local youth who had jumped from a wall and fell on a steep slope, near Kendal Ski Club.
He was treated at the scene by the Ambulance Service and evacuated by Kendal Team to the waiting Ambulance.
24th July 13:57hrs
Another Ambulance Service call, this time to Castley Knotts area Nr Sedbergh, to assist with the evacuation of a 9 year old boy with breathing difficulties.
The team had nearly reached the area when they were stood down as the casualty had been airlifted by Air Ambulance.
3rd August 12:59hrs
Ambulance Control requested the Team to attend Arnside Knott, to assist a 68 year old female who had slipped and fractured her leg. The lady was carried from the scene to our Mobile Two Ambulance, and taken along with her husband, to Westmorland General Hospital.
4th August 11.45hrs
The Team was mobilised to assist at the site of a helicopter crash, on farmland at Gatebeck close to the M6, south of Kendal.
Working alongside members of the Police Task Force, officers from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, members of RAF Leeming Mountain Rescue Team and investigating officers from the Air Accident Investigation Branch, the Team assisted in the recovery of the pilot and three passengers from the aircraft, in conditions of persistent driving rain.
6th August 12.25hrs
Ambulance Control requested the Team to attend Carlingill, in the Howgill Fells, to assist a 42 year old male who had slipped and badly fractured his lower right arm. The man was airlifted to Cumberland Infirmary by the Great North Air Ambulance, whilst his wife and daughters were assisted from the fell by Team members.
22nd August 14.55hrs
Langdale Ambleside MRT requested our help with the rescue of a female walker who had tripped and fallen on the summit of Harrison Stickle, sustaining a broken wrist and a minor head injury. The lady was stretchered to the valley bottom and then transferred to Westmorland General Hospital in our Mobile Two.
30th August 11.00hrs
Ambulance Control requested the team to attend on the footpath to Hallsfell near the A591 to assist with a collapsed male walker. Very sadly, the gentleman passed away and the team recovered him to the waiting ambulance.
1st September 10.50hrs
While attending a local demonstration at Kirkby Kendal School, the team were called to assist two doctors attending an elderly collapsed male. He was treated and transported to hospital in a County Ambulance.
1st September 13.45hrs
Ambulance Control requested the team to attend at Farlton Fell to assist with the evacuation of a male who had fallen from his mountain bike, sustaining possible neck injuries. The casualty was carried to the waiting ambulance and then transported to hospital.
9th September 14.50hrs
Ambulance Control requested the team to attend the fellside near St Mary’s Church in Longsleddale. A 22 year old male had fallen from his motorcycle during a trials event, sustaining possible back injuries. The Great North Air Ambulance also attended the incident and the team transported the casualty to the helicopter for onward transfer to hospital.
16 September 14.20hrs
Langdale & Ambleside MRT requested our assistance to evacuate an injured walker near Flour Gill in Far Easdale. Conditions were very wet and all the becks were in spate. The casualty was treated for a suspected broken leg and air lifted to hospitall by the RAF in Rescue 122.
16 September 16.00hrs
Towards the end of the previous incident, a large group of walkers asked for assistance after wading waist deep through a beck. One of their number had fallen in completely and was beginning to suffer from hypothermia. Rescue 122 was requested to return and air lift this second casualty to hospital. Team members escorted the rest of the group from the hill.
16th September 19.45hrs
Just when we thought we could dry out – our third incident of the day! The team was called to a caravan site near Sedgwick to assist the Ambulance Service with the evacuation of a walker who had slipped close to the River Kent and sustained suspected back injuries.
18th September 15.26hrs
The team was called to the assistance of a fell runner who had taken a short cut on White Scar, Whitbarrow. He had become cragfast on steep and unstable ground. Climbers from the team scaled the crag and made the runner safe until he could be air lifted from danger by our friends in Rescue 122.
19th September 10.30hrs
The team was asked to assist the Ambulance Service near Sedbergh. As the team was assembling, it was found that the incident was in the Cave Rescue Organisation’s area and so it was passed to them and the team was stood down.
22nd September 23.30hrs
The team was called to assist Langdale & Ambleside MRT with the rescue of two cragfast / benighted rock climbers on Gimmer Crag, Great Langdale. Four Team members assisted with rescue efforts by LAMRT, in which the stuck climbers were accessed by traversing in across damp ledges. The rest of the Team provided a Plan B solution and were progressing to the top of the crag as news came through that the climbers had been sucessfully reached and lowered from the crag. 13 Team members attended in conditions that became wet and blustery as the night went on. The last Team Members got back to Kendal around 5.30 am.
Maybe a reminder to all walkers and climbers about the need to have working torches in your rucsac and to plan your adventures bearing in mind the decreasing hours of daylight would not go amiss!!!!
26th October 14.48hrs
The team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside team with their 3rd callout of the day. The casualty was close to the summit of Harrison Stickle and he was stretchered down via Stickle Tarn and the Pony Track path. However, about two thirds of the way down L&A received their 4th callout of the day (see below). Seven Kendal team members were sent off to begin dealing with this new incident while the rest completed the transport of the casualty to the valley for onward transfer to hospital.
26th October 16.45hrs
A couple reported themselves lost, in heavy clag with dusk approaching rapidly, on the top of Pavey Ark. One of them was reported as suffering from a knee injury. Seven Kendal team members and our search dog (Kes) were released from the previous incident and sent back up to Pavey Ark via Stickle Tarn to begin a search. Darkness soon fell and so did the rain! On completion of the previous incident, two L&A team members and four Kendal team members carried a stretcher and other medical equipment back up to Stickle Tarn incase they were required. The couple were located near Thunacar Knott by Kes and her handler. The knee injury was found not to be too serious and they were led down to the valley after consuming some team coffee. It was after 22.00hrs when I got home for my dinner – sorry
Darling!
3rd November 13.35 hrs
The team was called by the police to assist a female from the Warrington area who had sustained a fracture to her lower left leg whilst walking in the Tarn Crag area of Longsleddale, with her husband. The lady was treated on scene and then stretchered off the fell to one of our Landrover Ambulances waiting at the head of the track near Wren Ghyll. She was transported to Westmorland General Hospital for further treatment.This time an unfortunate accident to a well equipped and experienced party – and we got down in daylight!!!!
23rd November 16.12 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team in dealing with a male casualty with a suspected broken leg towards the top of The Band in Great Langdale. As the Team aproached Ambleside, it was confirmed that an RAF Sea King helicopter was on route to the incident and the Team was held at L&A’s base. The RAF airlifted the casualty and some L&A team members from the hill to the Rugby Ground in Ambleside where we met them and we transported the casualty to Westmorland General Hospital in our Mobile 2 vehicle.
27th December 16.50 hrs
The Team was called to assist the Langdale & Ambleside Team with the recue of a 52 year old female who had slipped and sustained a nasty double fracture of a lower leg, whilst descending towards Scandale Pass from Red Screes. A rescue helicopter from RAF Valley made repeated attempts to access the scene but was thwarted by deteriorating weather conditions. Eventually the lady was stretchered off the fell to vehicles at the track end in Scandale, then transfered to County Ambulance for the onward journey to hospital. The other three members of her family were escorted off the fell, to Team transport and then reunited with their own vehicle.
12 Kendal Team members were involved for some 6 hours, with our base being closed around 23.00.
30th December 11.49 hrs
While on a training exercise in the Whinfell area, the Team was called by the Police and asked to assist two sheep that had been cragfast near Sadgill (Longsleddale) for four days. Our new GPS tracking system allowed us to identify the location of some suitable team members and they were requested to meet up with one of our Land Rovers for transport to Sadgill. The sheep had clearly encountered our team members before as when the saw the lads abseiling down towards them they managed to make there own way safely off the crag! The good news was that the sheep rescuers managed to make it back to the pub in time for a New Year pint.