2023-09-30-accounts

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Annual Report 2022/2023

Presented at the Annual General Meeting held on 27 November 2023

Team members and officials 2022/2023 as at the AGM

President and Vice-Presidents

President Richard Longman Vice-President Dr Nigel Burton Vice-President Jos Naylor MBE Vice-President Maurice Pringle Vice-President Dr Adrian Simper OBE

Trustees

Chair John Bamforth Duty Team Leader Phil Hall Duty Team Leader John Hryb Duty Team Leader & Training Officer Penny Kirby Duty Team Leader Chris Cripps Treasurer John Noake Trustee Mike Smith Trustee Ian Davidson Trustee Mark Harrison

Co-Opted Officers

Buildings Officer Hugh Redington Communications & ICT Officer Rob Higham Equipment Officer Dan Pocock Fundraising Officers Anne Guest and Sam Stalker Medical Officer Lucy Belson Press Officer Richard Warren Secretary Graham Hogg Vehicles Officer Jake Manson Water Officer Rob Stalker Wellbeing Officer Paul Kerry

Membership as at the AGM

Full Team Members (44):

Chris Adams, Dave Allery, John Bamforth, Martin Bentley, Andy Cramp, Chris Cripps, Debs Cripps, Ian Davidson, Chad Dixon, Phil Gibbs, Mitchell Graham, Phil Hall, Mark Harrison, Mark Hazell, Robert Higham, Graham Hogg, John Hryb, Sarah Kekus, Mark Kendall, Dave Kennedy, Paul Kerry, Penny Kirby, Jon Lynch, Jake Manson, Richard Moss, John Noake, Sue Noake, Gareth Platt, Dan Pocock, Steve Read, Mike Robinson, Dan Shepherd, Colin Smith, Mike Smith, Richard Smith, Rob Smith, Rob Stalker, Luke Tipper, Lee Tunstall, Steve Walter, Richard Warren, Sarah Wild, Dave Willey, Klem Zafred plus Jess the search dog

Associate Team Members – Probationers (5):

Jack Bavister, Alan Blight, Liam Coffey, Ava Grossman, Lee Robinson

Associate Team Members – Support (8):

Paul Barratt, Lucy Belson, Tim Brooks, Anne Guest, Tariq Qureshi, Hugh Redington, Sam Stalker, Dave Thompson

Honorary Life Team Members (27):

Dave Barras, Bob Bennett, Howard Christie, Lord Cunningham, Dave Fryer, Jenny Green, Roger Green, Karen Greene, Mike Greene MBE, Pete Holburt, Carol Holmes, Keith Hudson, Richard Longman, Joe Moody, Will Mullineux, Guy Newbold, Ken Owens, Bill Pattison MBE, Dave Polhill, Maurice Pringle, Janice Reynolds, Brian Smith, Gordon Starkie, Keith Thompson, Nick West, Royanne Wilding, Martin Young

Agenda

1. Chair’s opening remarks

2. Acceptance of the minutes of the 2022 Annual General Meeting held on 21 November 2022

3. Presentation of the 2023 Annual Reports by Officers including the 2022/23 Accounts

4. Election of the Trustees being: -

5. Chairman

6. Up to 4 Team Leaders

7. Up to a total of 9 trustees, including Chair and Team Leaders

The following nominations for trustees were received by the deadline: -

Chair
Name	Proposer	Seconded by
John Bamforth	Sue Noake	John Hryb

Duty Team Leader

Name	Proposer	Seconded by
Ian Davidson	John Hryb	Richard Warren
Phil Hall	Rob Stalker	Dan Pocock
John Hryb	PennyKirby	Phil Hall
PennyKirby	Martin Bentley	Graham Hogg

Trustees

Name	Proposer	Seconded by
Mark Harrison	PennyKirby	Graham Hogg
John Noake	Mike Smith	Mark Harrison
Mike Smith	Richard Moss	Lee Tunstall
Rob Stalker	John Hryb	Ian Davidson
Lee Tunstall	John Hryb	Richard Warren

Appointment of officers

1. Motions for debate and proposed constitutional changes – None have been received

2. Appointment of Auditors (with a proposal to retain Robinson & Co)

3. Any other business

Chair’s Report

The number of callouts this year has already exceeded that of previous years by some margin and at the time of writing the team has the dubious honour of having the greatest number of 999 calls in the Lake District this year. There appear to be many reasons for this not least of which is the impact of social media reaching people who previously had not ventured on the fells. This has again placed significant demands on the team, and more time this year we have seen instances of multiple simultaneous callouts. As ever the team has responded magnificently, and thanks must go to our team leaders for handling the calls often at unsociable times, and to all members for attending callouts when they can.

This continual growth in callouts has meant that the team has had to expand its resources to match, with another cohort of probationers nearing the end of their training and with next year’s cohort undergoing their hill test after a rigorous application and selection process: thanks must go to all those involved in our recruitment. Our fourth emergency vehicle arrived earlier this year funded by the Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership: our thanks go to them and to our vehicles officer and others for their efforts in specifying the vehicle and monitoring the build programme of this bespoke and very capable vehicle.

We have also had to be fully equipped to do the job and the team has invested heavily in cataloguing everything on the D4H software system to help with the relentless task of checking existing equipment, investigating, and specifying new equipment, as well as logging callouts and training sessions. Thanks must go to the equipment officer, buildings officer and water officer and others involved in keeping us geared up, housed, recorded, and trained appropriately.

On many occasions the team response this year has had a medical involvement, and it is fair to say that some of our casualties would either not have survived or would have a worse prognosis had it not been for the medical interventions on the hill. Those involved in administering casualty care and our superb medical team giving us the skills to be able to do the job, should feel immensely proud of the casualty care given. It is an absolute credit to the team to receive some of the messages that we have on how the team has helped them.

It is not an easy job to balance the financial books each year and this year with inflationary cost pressures, that task has become increasingly more difficult. Excluding depreciation, it has cost about £95k to run the team for this year. Admittedly, some of these costs include clothing which is expected to last (much) more than one year but this is significantly more than the £70-75k figures that we have typically quoted in public to run the team for a year. We have managed to earn more than we have spent, and we are fortunate to have a healthy bank account with at least three years’ worth of operating expenditure as reserves in addition to earmarked reserves for future vehicle replacement. Thanks must go to our fundraising team and others who have helped to bring in the much-needed funds: this includes attending functions and events throughout the year to gain and receive these funds. Income and expenditure have been carefully managed and controlled over the year and thanks must go to those involved in our team’s financial governance.

Communications on the hill is vital and this year we have trialled with great success the satellite radios, which have proved a very valuable addition to our array of communications tools. Our digital radios continue to evolve and improve, particularly with the Starlink capability now available at Wasdale Head. Thanks must go to the communications team who work tirelessly behind the scenes making sure we have the tools to do the job and fixing things when they inevitably go wrong.

Communications outside of the team now represent a considerable task in providing press releases, dealing with the media, handling public visits to the base, and providing a constant flow of social media content across several platforms. This year that role increased somewhat with the not insignificant involvement with a film crew shooting for a Channel 4 programme that is about to air. Thanks to those involved with all these outward communications which showcase the great work that this team does on a 24/7/365 basis, to a wide audience, increasing awareness and helping to bring in the funding and goodwill that the team needs to continue.

As regards our membership, one of our Honorary Members, Joe Arthy sadly passed away recently. It was sad to hear too that Chris Lewis, a member of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team who was very seriously injured during a rescue, also passed away. Congratulations go to Graham Hogg for 10 years’ service this year and to Penny Kirby for 40 years’ service this year and for being given the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award.

I would like to thank our elected and co-opted officers who have worked tirelessly to maintain our effectiveness as a team during another very busy year of rescues and training. Thanks also go to those who have helped with those extra activities many of which go unseen such as packing vehicles and kit ready for the next rescue.

Finally, thanks must also go to families and friends. They often must pick up the pieces when team incidents happen, and this help is invaluable: please pass on our thanks.

John Bamforth

Chair

Secretary’s Report

The secretary’s role has continued this year to be one of scribbling lots of notes during the two monthly meetings, leaving them on my desk for far too long, recalling discussions, attempting to cobble them together into minutes, and sending them out far too late – making the whole thing far harder than it needs to be. Perhaps I’ll get better next year, perhaps not.

Throughout the year, individuals and groups have continued to get in touch with the team, politely asking to visit the base and get to know more about our work. When the volume increased in the spring, just at the same time our callouts were accelerating, trustees discussed the idea of ‘winter opening hours’. As it turns out, several groups were happy to wait to visit the team during the winter months. Hopefully, decisions such as these, coupled with the DTLs managing the training demand at short notice, which helps to spread the non-call-out work through the year.

Team membership stands at 44 full team members and 5 probationary members – this is compared to 37 and 10 respectively last year. This year Marc Penn, Mark Wells and Tom Hewitson left the team and we thank them for their efforts.

Thank you to John for keeping the website up to date, our social media team: Richard, Mitch, Rob and Andy for updating their respective platforms – in the few years I’ve been looking at the secretary’s inbox, it feels as though many more messages from the public and casualties come via social media

rather than website emails. Thanks also to our D4H experts, particularly Lee who is making great use of a new support tool for the team.

Finally, quite often the secretary’s role is diverting a wide variety of tasks in the direction of many other members – to those who have helped in all manner of jobs that keep the team functioning, I extend my thanks.

Graham Hogg

Secretary

Duty Team Leaders’ Report

This year we have had an unprecedented number of call outs, our busiest year ever, currently standing at 159 (as at 12.11.23). There was a long period early in the year when the weather was fine, and there were lots of lower leg injuries; since the weather has changed and the cloud has come down, we have had more lost people, as well as people with leg injuries and medical issues. We have had a few people crag fast, or stuck on steep ground, and a few callouts where we used the boat. Our swift water group has been in action, as have our drone pilots and search dog.

We have had help from other teams many times, especially Duddon & Furness, and been able to help other teams on occasion. We have also had a lot of help from the air ambulances and coastguard helicopters, the latter more than any other team in the Lake District.

We have helped to save more lives, extricated injured walkers, reunited lost folk with their families, and those we couldn’t help directly have been treated with care and dignity, and their friends and families with compassion.

We have worked with many other agencies, amongst them Cumbria Police, NWAS, ARCC, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Helimed, Fire and Rescue Service, Coastguard, and Inshore Rescue.

Some team members have attended conferences, showcasing what we do, given talks to the public, attended local shows and Farmers Markets, and helped on the annual Flag Day. Many thanks to them, especially Anne and Sam who look after our fund-raising. Thank you to John and Susan Noake for, amongst many other things, dealing with all the donations that come in, responding to the donors, and sending Christmas cards.

We held an Open Day, our first in this base, which had been postponed because of Covid. Many thanks to all involved for organising this and making it a great success.

Other members have attended external training in addition to team training.

We have had a film crew accompanying us in base and on our callouts, the programme is due to be aired later this month.

We took on 5 new probationers at the beginning of the year and they have proved themselves to be committed, competent and valuable members of the team and we look forward to welcoming them

as full team members. Thank you to them. We have just had a hill day with next year’s group so there will be some new faces in the New Year.

We have taken delivery of a new vehicle, thank you to Jake for all his hard work in seeing this project through and to John Bamforth for securing the funding.

As part of this funding, we have been able to purchase 2 satellite phones and a base set, which have proved invaluable, and we intend to purchase more. There are other developments in the communications field which no doubt will be dealt with more fully in the communications report. Thank you to the communications group who are not only pursuing these developments but dealing with the problems that arise with our existing equipment.

And thank you also to the many people who help out in so many other ways, whether or not they have a “job title” – training, especially Lucy and Tariq who put in an amazing amount of time and energy, finances, equipment, clothing, vehicles and boat, wellbeing, media, IT and comms, recruitment, building maintenance, base operators, catering, in addition to attending our training and everincreasing callouts. We could not function otherwise. And thank you to the Trustees who deal with the more unseen aspects of team management such as insurance, risk registers, byelaws and policies. We held a barbecue at the Youth Hostel, which was very enjoyable and well attended, thanks to David Kennedy and family for their organisational and catering skills. We continue to have a Friday social which gives us a chance to socialise outside of a callout. Wednesday Wanders have also been valuable and will re-start in the New Year.

Chad’s podcasts have been well received and help to inform a wider audience about what we do. Richard Warren continues to keep Mountain Rescue in the public eye, as well as representing Mountain Rescue in inter-agency meetings trying to address some of the issues caused by so many visitors.

We must also thank members of the public, local farmers, hoteliers, especially the staff at Wasdale Head Inn, who go out of their way to help casualties, and in doing so, help us.

And last but not least, despite the phenomenal increase in callouts, we have amazing, continued commitment from team members, and by definition, their families as well, thank you. Team members are our number one resource and we cannot stress enough how appreciative we are of your time and commitment. Many many thanks.

Chris Cripps, Phil Hall, John Hryb & Penny Kirby

Duty Team Leaders

Medical Report

Callouts

Medical makes up 32% of all WMRT callouts. It is critical that we respond with appropriate modern equipment which we have been developing this year. Our members are trained in first aid and/or casualty care to meet the challenges of caring for our injured/ill casualties.

Asthma	Cardiac arrest	Dizziness	Heart Attacks (MI)	Heat exhaustion	Heat stroke	Hypothermia	Seizures
2	3	2	3	1	1	3	2
Ankles	Arm	Chest/ribs	Pelvis	Other limbs	Shoulder	Multiple minor injuries	Head
16	2	2	4	10	3	1	11

Equipment

Early 2023 we started to use Bluetooth monitoring via an advanced Pulse Oximeter. It can read oxygen saturations in a casualty with poor perfusion and shivering. Monitoring of the casualty’s temperature is also done continuously via a Radius T pad attached to the casualty. The team use mobile phones for monitoring.

The long anticipated Medical Bags arrived. These are specifically designed for MR in Canada and are light technical bags.

Training

Course	BLS/AED	OFA	Stop the Bleed	Role	Casualty Care
Trained	100%	88%	47%	27%	39%

ROLE

This year has been one of innovation. In the spring 14 members of the team undertook UKSAR ROLE (Recognition of life extinct) training. Dr Qureshi led on this and sought input from the Police, Ambulance service and our regional HM Coroner. A difficult subject but one that all MRT sadly encounter at some point.

Some of own Cas Carers had to undertake ROLE in July and greatly appreciated the structure that this course brought to the process.

Stop the Bleed 

Training was also introduced under the auspices of the American College of Surgeons. Using an alarming ‘spurty thigh’ model the Team tackled a catastrophic bleed and practiced packing the wound and applying tourniquets. This made for some lively training and a few painful arms. Our thanks again go to Tariq for directing & introducing this course.

Outdoor First Aid Course

Mike Smith continued to run these and most of our new probationers attended and received their certificates. We run these courses close to the time the probationers will be going on the hill as a means of preparation.

Basic Life Support

BLS is a minimum standard for any MRT member. We were supported on assessments by Gosforth Community First Responders.

Casualty Care

Dr Qureshi continues to lead on this. The next assessment process is being supported by medical/nursing staff from local teams including Patterdale, Keswick, Cockermouth as well as a group of our wonderful local GPs. Thanks to the Rosehill Theatre actors who are supporting us for the first time this year as ‘mock’ casualties for the exams.

A massive thank you to Dr Qureshi for all his generous support and encouragement, he continues to help us develop in innovative ways. Thanks too to Dr Alistair Fale from our sister team DFMRT and our local paramedic Iain Proctor-Dow. Mostly, though, thanks to all the team who use these skills on the hill for the benefit of our casualties and their families.

Lucy Belson

Medical officer

Treasurer's Report

The accounts for the year to 29 September 2023 are being finalised and thanks must go to Emma Woodend and Jason Spires of Robinson & Co. for preparing them.

Overview

Firstly, thanks to John Noake for all his accounting for transactions, and to Sue Noake for her assistance. Thanks also to the fundraising team of Anne Guest and Sam Stalker plus others for their efforts in bringing valuable funds in.

The accounts for the 12 months to September 2023 show a profit of £6.7k, being £120.0k of income less direct expenses of £67.9k and overheads of £45.4k. Additionally, we have spent and capitalised £21.5k of equipment.

Income

We have received three legacies totalling £17.5k, £93.1k of donations, £5.3k of interest and £4.3k other income.

The following single donations were over £1.0k: -

•	Little & Caine (funeral)	£1.3k
•	“One aim Cracked it”	£1.0k
•	Much loved (funeral)	£1.6k
•	Flag Day	£1.7k
•	LDSAMRA	£15.2k
•	St Bees Triers	£1.3k
•	Wasdale Head Inn	£2.7k

Direct Expenses

Of the £67.9k direct expenses, £19.7k relates to team member equipment, £33.8k to team equipment, £10.6k to training and £3.8k to other expenses.

Team	member equipment costs	comprise: -
•	Paramo jackets	£2.3k
•	Paramo trousers	£3.6k
•	Montane pants	£0.7k
•	Keela jackets	£1.2k
•	Winter jackets	£2.0k
•	Arc’teryx medical bags	£2.3k
•	Personal allowances	£3.2k
•	Other	£4.4k
		£19.7k

Team equipment costs comprise: -

• Crag equipment • Search equipment • SRT equipment • Medical equipment • Communications kit • Drone kit	£5.1k £2.8k £3.5k £16.5k £5.5k £0.4k £33.8k

• Training costs comprise: - • Mountain first aid £1.2k • SRT £1.9k • Driver training £2.7k • Winter training £3.4k • Other £1.4k

£10.6k

Overheads

These costs comprise: -

• Rates £1.5k

• • Energy £4.2k • Vehicles maintenance £5.5k

• Buildings maintenance £5.2k

• • ICT £2.1k • Insurance £4.1k • Refreshments £2.9k • Depreciation £18.3k (previous capital expenditure)

• Other £1.6k

• £45.4k

Financial Position

As at 30 September 2023 we: -

• Owned fixed assets with a net book value of £819.9k

• Had cash deposits totalling £422.0k

• Are owed £40.0k in VAT from HMRC (see note)

• Owe suppliers £43.1k (Mainly for M4 second instalment)

• Had a net worth of £1,270.9k

Note – Of the £40.0k VAT receivable, £36.9k has been claimed and of that £28.3k has been received in October. The remaining VAT will be claimed in January.

Mid-Copeland GDF Community Fund

We have compiled the invoices and supporting documentation together for the £75.5k claim that we were awarded in 2022. This will be submitted shortly.

A further grant claim for £49.5k has been made for equipment under the banner of technology in mountain rescue and we understand this has been approved, which is great news.

Summary

Excluding depreciation, it has cost £95.1k to run the team for a year. Admittedly, some of these costs include clothing which is expected to last (much) more than one year but this is significantly more than the £70-75k figures that we have typically quoted in public to run the team for a year.

We have managed to earn more than we have spent, but we should continue to be careful going forward.

John Noake Treasurer

Fundraising Report

1. Events attended by WMRT

DATE	EVENT	TYPE OF EVENT	LOCATION	MONEY BANKED
12/12/2022	Flag Day (whole team event)	Collection buckets on the street	Egremont and Whitehaven	(see Treasurer) > £1000
09/04/2023	Easter Day WMRT presence	WMRT merchandise stall and M2 Advice and Guidance to walkers	Bracken Close car park	£95.36
21/04/23	Egremont Farmer’s Market	Refreshments Stall serving tea, coffee, and cakes	Market Hall, Egremont	approx. £400 (Treasurer has details)
10/06/2023	Drigg Gala	WMRT merchandise stall and M2	Drigg	£248
19/08/2023	Gosforth Show	WMRT merchandise stall and M2	Gosforth	£325.14
30/09/2023	Eskdale Show	WMRT merchandise stall and M2	Eskdale	£278.44
14/10/2023	Wasdale Show	WMRT merchandise stall and M2	Wasdale Head	£435
22/10/2023	Open Day	WMRT merchandise stall and M2	Workington Fire Station	£35
03/11/2023	Farmer’s Market	WMRT merchandise stall, books andgin	Market Hall, Egremont	£63.06
			Total raised	Approx: £2784.61

There was an Open Day at base around Easter 2023 which I believe also raised some money. The Treasurer has details of this.

2. Collection Boxes

Regular collection boxes come in from various locations and we are grateful to those who pick them up and often count the money for us – Chad, Mitch, Rich Smith and Carol Holmes, who picks up all the boxes in Eskdale and Ravenglass periodically. The Barn Door Shop regularly collects a considerable sum for us and all of the above is paid into the Cumberland Building Society account. NB. The amounts recorded below sometimes include money collected from the events above at various times. There are always spare collection boxes in the Fundraising cupboard in the office, so please take one if you see a full box anywhere on your daily travels. It is a great help to Sam and me if team members continue to collect for us and bring the boxes to base.

Date	Paid In
05/05/2023	£269.49
19/05/2023	£379.26
15/06/2023	£366.00
20/06/2023	£800.00
26/06/2023	£245.94
28/07/2023	£530.25

23/08/2023	£503.06
06/11/2023( Eskdale boxes + Wasdale Show)	£893.57
Total	£3987.57

3. PayPal Account

All orders for merchandise from the website go straight to the PayPal account. There are also regular payments from the PayPal Giving Fund.

The payments from the Giving Fund reflect the link provided on social media accompanying the incident reports posted. This is an extremely effective addition to our other fundraising initiatives and reaches a wider target audience than just those who want to buy merchandise.

Date	Merchandise	PayPal Giving Fund	Donations
January2023	£17.34
February2023	£17.34
March 2023	£102.28
April 2023	£70.19	£221.86
May2023	£31.88	£1055.03
June 2023	£2.76	£117.01
July2023		£196.50
August 2023	£109.77	£47.00	£98.40
September 2023	£32.14	£1307.51
October 2023	£37.40	£825.78
Totals	£418.34	£3770.82	£98.40
	Total paid into PayPal account: £4287.56
The balance in the PayPal account currently stands at £10,020.34

4. Other Fundraising Initiatives

Mike Smith and I have been liaising with Lakeland Lights scented candle makers in Cleator Moor, who have produced an advent calendar with a WMRT theme this year. They will donate £1 for every calendar sold to the Team and have produced 2000 calendars. This represents a potentially significant addition to our funds. They also have a ‘Donate’ button on their website which, we hope, will also generate revenue for us. The results of this will not be apparent until after Christmas. This is an important collaboration with a local business and is to be encouraged. Mike Smith, Sarah Wild and I attended a workshop on 25[th] August 2023 to launch the calendar, and several team members – Jake, Mike R, Lee R and I were present at an Open Day on 23[rd] September 2023.

5. Donations

In January 2023 we received a donation of £208.20 from Gosforth Amateur Dramatic Society, raised from their production of Cinderella.

At the Egremont Farmer’s Market on 3[rd] November 2023, the refreshments were served by the WI, who were also raising money on our behalf. This donation is pending.

Total amount raised from Fundraising to date: £11,267.94

6. Summary

It’s been a busy and productive year for fundraising. Even where we have made small amounts of money at some events, our presence is always appreciated by the local community and impresses upon people the important work that WMRT does. This is a vital part of the WMRT offering.

As the demands on the Team’s services grows, so does the need to generate funds. There are some events which we did not attend during the summer, such as the Whitehaven Harbour Festival, because there are only so many free weekends Sam and I have. Next year we have already been invited to attend the Seascale Gala in June, which is in addition to all the other events in our calendar. We could do more but would need more help. We would like to suggest that the remit of fundraising becomes broader for the team and put the following ideas forward for consideration:

6a . Probationers could be involved as part of their training. This would help them to gain a full understanding of what it takes to maintain WMRT. There could be a rota so that there is always somebody available to attend an event. It would also mean that there are always hill-going members interacting with the public to answer questions for the duration of the event.

6b. We are extremely grateful to those full team members who regularly attend the various shows and drive M2 to the showground. It tends to be the same group of people who are giving up their time, so a rota of the team members, in addition to the presence of a probationer or two, would take the pressure off this group. Sam and I are not equipped to deal with the many technical questions people have about Mountain Rescue and the presence of experienced team members at events is essential.

6c . We would greatly appreciate the support of partners / relatives to help us out with events and propose forming a WhatsApp group of interested people on whom we could call. Please let us know names and contact numbers if you know someone who would like to be involved.

6d . At the Wasdale Head Show, Lucy brought a stretcher and one of the mannikins, both of which attracted a lot of attention and was a great way to help the public understand what the team does. This is something which would be welcome at all the events and enables people to appreciate the medical expertise involved in being a team member. A team member with casualty care skills could take responsibility for this at each event.

Anne Guest and Sam Stalker

Fundraising Officers

Vehicles Report

A big thank you also to all who use the vehicles; for driving safely, keeping them clean and reporting any issues. An extra mention to all who have helped me during the last year; Lucy Belson and Mike Smith, who have given me lifts, Dave Allery for technical assistance, Lee Tunstall and Mike Robinson for practical help, and Dan Pocock for advice on tyres. Apologies if I have forgotten anyone.

With the arrival of Mobile 4, the Team now operates with the support of four vehicles:

Mobile 1 , a Toyota Hilux, has been our preferred rapid response vehicle. The vehicle is now over ten years old, has done about 2,200 miles so far this year, and was used for the majority of callouts. Looking forward, the vehicle is starting to show signs of age and it might be appropriate to bring it up to the same specification as Mobile 4.

Mobile 2 , our Land Rover Defender is the second of our rapid response vehicles which still provides the team with its iconic MR look and attended many of our fundraising and charity event commitments during the year. The vehicle is now fourteen years old, has done about 1,400 miles so far this year, and it continues to be particularly valuable for boat deployments. Looking forward, it is likely that this vehicle will get less use now we have Mobile 4. It is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to source these vehicles and this low milage, well-maintained vehicle is an asset to the team which should remain part of our fleet for as long as possible.

Mobile 3 , a Ford Tourneo Custom, has the capacity to ferry up to nine members to call-outs, and has also been used for attending training events and general transport. The vehicle continues to suffer from electrical problems, which have been investigated, and it seems likely they are a product of the way the vehicle is used i.e. mostly for short journeys, which is causing damage to the batteries. The vehicle is now over eight years old and has done about 3,300 miles so far this year. Looking forward, it may be time to start formulating ideas about what we would want from a replacement, for instance better off-road capability, or maybe to be used as a control or drone support vehicle.

Mobile 4 , a Toyota Hilux arrived in August . It has done about 1200 miles so far. Thanks are due to the Mid-Copeland GDF Community Fund, who have generously provided finance for the vehicle itself and for equipping it. Thanks to John Bamforth for working with the Fund to secure this, and to Ian Davison for help during the procurement phase. Housing it required changes to be made in the base, which were professionally completed by our resident electricians.

The vehicles continue to be regularly maintained; any faults have been minor in nature, and promptly dealt with. All vehicles have passed their annual MOT and have been taxed and insured. Maintenance is now recorded and prompted on D4H. In total the vehicles have been driven 8151 miles, a 51% increase on 2022 reflecting the busier year we have had in 2023.

I am intending to continue in the role for the time being but would like a volunteer to come forward to take over from me during the coming year.

Jake Manson

Vehicles Officer

Water Report

Annual Summary The Water Rescue capability within WMRT has strengthened considerably within the last 12 months. We have had full team water awareness training, additional team members trained to technician level, water team leader and instructor level training and put all those skills into practice at a regional level deployment. Water incidents are usually multi agency events, so we have also completed multiple training sessions with other teams in LDSAMRA to further understand each other’s capabilities. Boat The Boat continues to be operational. There have been 4 boat related callouts on the lake this year and 1 full team training involving the boat. Stats pulled from D4H. Ongoing project for the winter months is to explore ways of getting a boat onto Wastwater much faster than is currently possible. This will not replace the current boat operations but work alongside to gain sit rep faster for water & screes related incidents.

Green – good; Amber – nearly there; Red – Needs work

Green – good; Amber – nearly there; Red –	Needs work
Qualification	Current Number	Ideal Number	Changes from last month
Swiftwater rescue technicians	15	18	None
Advanced level technicians	7	10	+2
Technicians trained in rescues from flooded vehicles	3	10	None
Swiftwater instructor	1	1	None
Management of water and flood incidents	ID attending WFIM training in Nov ‘23	2	None
DEFRA team commander	3	3	None

Deployment – Wasdale Job WA.151.23 It was the first time in a lot of years that the SRT team had been deployed to a real incident and it was an opportunity to see all the training and specialist equipment being used for real. The incident was a river search of the river Eden, sadly the outcome was a fatality. Recent Water Training 5 Wasdale team members attended a night time SRT training exercise hosted by Cockermouth MRT on the River Derwent in Cockermouth town centre. A great time was had by all. Planned Water Rescue Training Wasdale SRT Training Day – Dec 17th pencilled in tbc – objective is to complete Jack’s final day of SRT training and train as a team. Hopefully somewhere in Eskdale, conditions dependant. LDSAMRA run Advanced SRT course – 3 Days – 24th to the 26th November – Lakes based and will also reset SRT Qual. 2 Wasdale team members booked on this course so far. Kit/Equipment I am halfway through a refurbishment of all our SRT drysuits. 10 have been away and come back, the remainder are to be sent away over this winter. A proposal for some new water equipment that is needed has been approved by the trustees. I am in the process of ordering the equipment from the proposal. Some old kit will be donated to the Pakistan Appeal and a social media fundraising campaign will be launched to help with the financial cost As always, any questions regarding water ops in the team, let me know.

Rob Stalker

Water Officer

Communications & ICT Report

As the Communications & ICT Officer for 2023 I have been responsible for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of WMRTs radio communication and ICT infrastructure. This year one of the key focuses has been on a project to install a Starlink internet connection to Wasdale Head.

Wasdale Head Repeater Improvements

Since the new digital repeater system has been installed, we have been utilising a radio link via Nether Wasdale to get voice communications between Wasdale Base and Wasdale Head Repeaters because the internet connection at the head was not good enough for our needs (all of our other repeaters use the internet to extend the voice communications between sites). The radio link has had some reliability problems over the years due to not being in an ideal location to get line of site between Wasdale Base and Wasdale Head, particularly in poor atmospheric conditions. This results in sometimes poor communications at times when one user’s radio is connected to the Wasdale Head Repeater, and another is connected to the Wasdale Base Repeater (a scenario which will occur on most of our rescues up the pike from the Wasdale valley as people move about on the roads and fells).

The government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) approached the team early in the year to see if they could assist in providing better internet connectivity for the team’s infrastructure at Wasdale Head, as part of wider work to improve internet connectivity to the very remote places in Cumbria. The proposed solution was to purchase and fund a Starlink satellite internet connection as a trial. In April the equipment was installed at Wasdale Head and underwent some testing to see how stable it was, including using it to transmit the GPS traces from the head repeater for a period. In May the Nether Wasdale radio link was switched off and voice communications transferred over to Starlink.

Since switching over we have found the system to be significantly more reliable and have continued to use it. There are a few things to address going forwards with regards to power resilience and improved mounting of the antenna, however this has been a successful project which has significantly improved the teams radio communications in the valley.

Other Ongoing Projects / Maintenance of Assets

In addition to the above project, the communications Team are kept busy throughout the year maintaining our current assets, responding to failures and on other projects such as Zello and installing radio equipment to Mobile 4.

Zello is a service which allows us to securely link our radio system to the internet. This gives us the benefit that authorised users with an internet connection, but not within range of our radio repeaters, can assist in operations. Zello has been in use throughout the year and playing a role in our operations.

Just as this report is being written we have received good news about progress on a new repeater site Duddon and Furness MRT are looking to install in the Cockley Beck area of the Duddon Valley. As well as improving Duddon’s repeater coverage in their area, this new repeater site should deliver significant benefits to Wasdale when operating in the Upper Eskdale / Great Moss area.

As is normal, we occasionally have failures of equipment throughout the year, and it is much appreciated when we get reports from team members notifying us of an issue and allowing us to respond promptly. Please do continue to do this and let us know if there are any areas to specifically target for improvement.

The task of maintaining and improving Communications and ICT is a team effort and I would like to thank the Comms team - Jon Lynch, Dave Allery and Hugh Redington who have all contributed throughout the year in maintaining and improving the communications capability

Robert Higham

Communications & ICT Officer

Buildings Report

Generally, the building has stood up well and provided a great base for the team who have had a very busy year.

Maintenance has been carried out with annual inspections and services to systems such as the security and fire alarms, emergency lighting, heating, up and over shutter doors, CCTV and standby generator etc. We also had an inspection with recommendations by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. Regular emergency light and fire alarm tests continue. Some ad hoc callouts were required during the year on an as needed basis to rectify issues with various systems.

There are ongoing issues for resolution in the coming weeks:

• Emergency lighting – replacement of battery packs.

• Roof leak which has emerged.

• Failed (water ingress) CCTV camera to be replaced.

• Monitor performance of the up and over shutter doors.

The Lowering Platform project is proceeding although slower than we would prefer. I am having regular email contact with the team who are providing this facility at not cost to WMRT and am awaiting a start of works date. Thanks to the team helpers who assisted with moving the racking earlier in the year.

Gareth with support from Alan arranged and installed the charging point for Mobile 4.

Thank you also to the members who carry out the grass cutting.

The alarm systems have just received an upgrade to make them ready for BT’s plans to cease the copper wire networks.

Recently we were made aware that another charitable organisation has provided funds so that lighting could be installed to the helipad at West Cumbria Hospital, Whitehaven which will increase the safety of helicopter and ambulance crews transferring patients from the aircraft to the A & E during darkness or poor light.

Additional projects to be undertaken: Consider and plan an extension to the car parking area and delineation of parking bays. Investigation and rectify / adapt drainage at the front and side of the building to alleviate foul smells. Consider enclosing and making secure the rear covered storage to accommodate the boat.

Hugh Redington

Buildings Officer

Equipment Report

I started the Equipment Officer role in September 2022, where I’ve been responsible for managing the team’s crag equipment, stretchers, and other rescue accessories. The role involves sorting the various inspection requirements, purchasing new equipment, and liaising with equipment suppliers. Andy Cramp has continued to do an excellent job assisting as the Clothing Officer.

After purchasing accessories for the new Titan stretcher last year, the team has started to gain familiarity culminating in a successful training exercise with a stretcher carry off Buckbarrow. We’re still learning about the potential disadvantages and advantages for use in the future. In order to manage the implementation, a small working group was created which recently recommended a 6 to 12-month trial period (10 operational rescues minimum) where the stretcher is kept in the back of Mobile 4 and used on select operational rescues. I look forward to putting the Titan further through its paces during the trial period to determine if it can find a permanent place in the back of our vehicles, as it offers significant weight savings over the existing Bell stretchers.

New equipment has been purchased to bring Mobile 4 up to full operational state. The intention is that Mobile 1 and 4 will have a full set of identical crag equipment, but Mobile 2 will only have casualty helmets, harnesses and a back rope. A spare crag set and a set of ropes can then be kept on the shelf in base.

All the crag equipment and stretchers are now recorded on D4H, which is used to manage inspections and details of all the team’s kit. This is making inspections a lot easier to manage.

Earlier in the year, MREW updated the guidelines for equipment inspections. For the team, this increased the inspection frequency of some sets of equipment and resulted in the annual personal equipment inspections to switch from annual to a strict 6 monthly frequency. I’d like to thank everyone for engaging positively with the new rules and to all those who assisted with kit inspections.

After several deflation failures of current vacuum mattresses, MREW implemented a replacement program. After a selection process, the team has decided to purchase the Ferno Rescue Lite. Team members felt that this product had the best balance of weight and casualty immobilisation. These should be being delivered before Christmas and will replace all existing vacuum mattresses.

Andy has successfully completed the most recent 5-yearly clothing review, so now all team members should have the team’s standard issue clothing. After positive feedback from team members with the Mountain Equipment Kongur MRT waterproof jacket, the team has ordered these for more members, and they should be ready for distribution in early 2024. The replacement synthetic belay jacket jointly designed by MREW and Helly Hansen, the SAR 133 has been ordered for all team members and supporters and should be with us in the new year.

I’m still enjoying the role and plan to continue as Equipment Officer into 2024. I’d like to thank the team for their ongoing support, especially those who regularly give up extra time to help with equipment inspections (namely Chris Adams, Ian Davidson, Mark Kendall and Rob Stalker) – this is greatly appreciated.

Dan Pocock

Equipment Officer

Press Officer Report

2023 has been an exceptional busy year of rescues for the team with the record of 142 callouts broken in the first week of October. At the time of writing the team is on 152 with a forecasted 160 by the end of the year. This has meant strong focus on our team by the media as they regularly read our social media posts. Having the highest mountain in England on our patch with over 50% of incidents on Scafell Pike of which 60% are lost and overdue means a lot of press enquiries. Local and national papers, local and national radio, regional and national television, they all want a story and trying to avoid those awkward questions can be a challenge at times. “don’t you get angry?” ….“ is it sustainable? ” .… “is the Adventure Smart message getting through?” . However, having good relationships with the media and being non-judgemental has always been our approach and it seems to work well. It allows us to get our own messaging across whether it is fundraising, recruitment, safety messaging to reduce those 60% Scafell Pike lost and missing or just a big thanks to our community.

2023 has also been demanding with Summer Films production for Channel 4. This four-part series covering the work of the Cumbrian teams will feature heavily on our own team as it was filmed during our busiest period in May when we had 28 callouts. Viewing of the raw edits for factual accuracy will take place throughout November with the series going out shortly thereafter. Thanks to Mike Smith being our co-ordinator with support from other team members and to everyone who participated in the interviews.

Our team leaders have appeared in several TV interviews throughout the years. They present our work and issues well and add operational realism to interviews that press officers sometimes cannot quite deliver. Not an easy task for the team leaders but always well executed so thank you. Also, a big thanks to all team members who have helped with the photographs, the videos, the social media posts and indeed in the opportunities we get for reconstructions. It all makes the job of a press officer so much easier to do. Finally, well done to Chad Dixon who has successfully completed his media training through LDSAMRA / MREW and has given his first interview with Global radio so has now entered the scary world of being interviewed and being heard by large audiences (no pressure Chad).

Richard Warren

Press Officer

Training Officer Report

This year’s training has covered a wide variety of topics, both team training and external training. A few sessions were cancelled because of callouts but we have still covered a lot of ground, so to speak.

Earlier in the year, we had the Scottish winter course, thanks to Susan for organising it and Dave Thompson and Ian Davidson for leading on it.

We have trained on crags and steep ground, including joint training with Duddon and Furness, with members becoming more familiar and confident with our practices and equipment. We have had boat training and swift water training, some of which was for the team and some specialist, which included a joint session with Eskdale Outward Bound. We have had stretcher training, using the bell stretcher and also incorporating the Titan stretcher and wheel, which is about to go into service.

We had our annual winter driving session, which included readying the vehicles for winter and a session on the use of avalanche transceivers, probes etc. Other sessions have included OS mapping, D4H, the use of drones and search dogs, search field skills, and GPX files.

We have also spent time exploring issues around wellbeing and caring for ourselves and others, looking at the fatality incident protocol, safeguarding, how we can help those we go to who have dementia, learning how the police care for people who have mental health issues.

Our medical training continues to go from strength to strength, huge thanks to Lucy and Tariq. Not only are we able to deliver first class casualty care, but are confident in doing so, knowing we have the training and back-up when on scene. The Outdoor First Aid course, delivered by Mike Smith is also invaluable, providing extra capability on the hill.

External training:

We have had varied success with our helicopter training. Going forward, it looks as though it will continue to be at Prestwick, winching training is unlikely to happen, but there are plans to offer inhouse training, building familiarity with strops and other equipment.

Some undertook blue light driver training, which may be the last in its present form due to changes in the training requirements.

There have been several opportunities for swift water training, our cohort of responders is on the increase, and some are now in a position to manage swift water incidents. We now have more people qualified to undertake PPE inspections which have recently become a 6-monthly requirement, we have 6 people trained in extended search management, plus 3 who recently attended the search field skills course, 1 in avalanche search management and 1 member attended a media course.

3 people have attended a 2-day Mental Health First Aid course, and 3 who attended a day course on responding to suicide.

Thankyou to all those who have organised or helped with training in any capacity, very much appreciated.

Penny Kirby

Training Officer

Recruitment and Probationary member report

We welcomed 5 new recruits in January to our Probationer programme and successfully signed them off in April to attend callouts. All have fitted in well with the team and positive feedback has been received throughout the year from both mentors and team members.

Ten of the previous years Probationer programme from 2022 completed their 12-month training and became full team members in January.

The recruitment process for next year’s intake commenced in July this year and after application assessments and interviews we have 9 candidates attending hill assessments on Saturday 11[th] November. On completion a decision will be made and offers of places on our probationer programme starting in January 2024 will be sent out towards the end of November.

Training programmes and assessment milestones for 2024 are currently be restructured and agreed these will be shared with the team.

On a personal note, I would like to show my appreciation to all team members who have offered their time throughout the year as mentors, interviewers, hill assessors and training. The Probationers have fitted in well with the team and been made very welcome and I thank you all for your continued support.

Mark Harrison

Recruitment Officer

Wellbeing Officer report

Listening

As we’ve developed wellbeing across the team our primary aim has been that of listening. We’ve sought to carefully listen to the whole team about which aspects of wellbeing would be most supportive to them and how we can nurture and promote with them. However, we’ve also heard, and seen, the great work of caring for one another’s wellbeing that already exists informally in the team as a whole – thank you!

Group

From this listening we’ve developed a wellbeing group. A collection of team members who can be approached with a wellbeing issue, concern, or idea and can drive wellbeing forwards. This group was established when four of us got together in the spring and then evolved after we asked the team which individuals they already see in that sort of role.

As we progressed this model it became clear that a team of eight people would not be able to meet frequently enough to deal with the complex changes associated with wellbeing. So, we have also appointed a wellbeing lead and two deputies from within the group who will meet more frequently into order to enable us to respond to wellbeing issues more dynamically.

The team is structured as follows: Paul Kerry (lead), Lucy Belson (deputy), Mike Smith (deputy), Martin Bentley, Ian Davidson, Mark Harrison, John Hryb, and Penny Kirby. The whole group aims to meet 3 times a year and the leads more frequently.

Purpose

As we’ve listened, we’ve also discerned two primary purposes for wellbeing from the wider team. When we asked people to pick from six aspects of wellbeing the two which were focused on most were a) inter-team relationships, and b) individual physical and mental health. We have begun to focus and reflect on both.

On team relationships we’ve worked on “wellbeing wheels” which are tools that allow us to assess the wellbeing temperature of the team in areas such as purpose, teamwork, self-esteem, trust, care and so on. These will be kept under review whenever we meet, and they help generate discussion questions such as: what has fostered (or hindered) growth in that area recently? How might the team grow in this aspect? Are there any concerns on the horizon about this part of our team’s shared life? On individual wellbeing we are working on a wide range of tools and support that we want to make sure the whole team has a chance to access should they want to. These include promoting everyone’s physical and mental health which was identified as a key area for many.

Resources/Training

The group and whole team have benefited from a range of training this year which feeds into the above. From Mental Health First Aid, Responding to Suicide, Stress and Anxiety in Search and Rescue and more besides. If you have any questions about wellbeing or the training available don’t hesitate to be in touch or look at the manuals, posters and contact details around base for more info. This comes with grateful thanks for all the support and enthusiasm people have shown towards these discussions and plans as they emerge. And with recognition again of all that everyone does to foster team wellbeing in Wasdale Mountain Rescue.

Paul Kerry

Wellbeing Officer

Incidents

These incidents have been kindly reproduced from the Team website (http://www.wmrt.org.uk) and represent events up to and including Friday 25[th] November. It should be noted that the reporting date for the team is that of calendar years. Incidents between the last AGM on 21 November 2022 and 31 December 2022 are reported separately later.

Number of '999' calls for the calendar year to date = 158 which includes 99 with the team on the fell and 59 alerts, where the incident was reported in as a '999' but there was no need for any significant team involvement and therefore not formally logged as an incident - this is where, for example, the Team Leader talks them off the mountain with minimal team member involvement or missing persons turn up before the team is fully mobilised. Since the last AGM there have been 163 incidents of which 103 were callouts and 60 were alerts.

1. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:56 Thu 5th Jan 2023

Our first tasking of the year commenced after a call was received from Cumbria Police. Two walkers descending from Scafell Pike arrived at the stream crossing and did not believe it was safe to cross after a period of heavy rain. They were becoming increasingly cold. The team responded and once on scene assessed the conditions. By this time it was deemed safe to cross and so a small team made the crossing, gave food and encouragement to the walkers and then helped them back across. The party then made the short walk back down to the valley floor at Brackenclose. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/

2. Scafell Pike - Alert - 20:09 Thu 5th Jan 2023

Whilst callout No.1 was ongoing, a further call was received from the police. A single male walker was overdue from a walk up Scafell and a relative was concerned for his safety. Fortunately during the initial enquiries and investigation, the walker was discovered safe and well in his vehicle in the valley. Contact was not possible by phone at this point due to the lack of signal in this area.

3. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:45 Thu 19th Jan 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about a lone male walker who had set off in the morning aiming to climb Scafell Pike, but had not returned and was significantly overdue. Due to the winter conditions and the lack of a known location, extra help was required to enable a comprehensive search of a very large area as quickly as possible. A Coastguard helicopter was requested and plans were forming to callout another neighbouring team. Fortunately as this was happening, contact was made from the missing person. He had made it safely down into Borrowdale, and was returning to his intended destination of Wasdale via a taxi. Please do not underestimate winter conditions on the high Lake District fells, they are very hazardous without the right skills and equipment. Please like, share and comment to promote awareness, rather than criticism of the person involved on this occasion. #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

4. Corridor Route, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 16:54 Sat 21st Jan 2023

The team was called out via Cumbria Police last night to a medical emergency on the Corridor Route. On the descent from Scafell Pike one of a group of walkers was suffering from an asthma attack. He had taken his normal medication, however this was not helping as normal and he was not able to make any further progress. At this point they wisely called for help. The team responded quickly with an advance party and other team members following. Coastguard helicopter Rescue 936 from Caernarfon was also requested and responded. Once on scene the team medics provided shelter and gave additional medication and treatment. This was enough to improve the walker's condition to enable a winch into the helicopter. He was then flown to hospital in Whitehaven for further treatment, and the team returned to base to restock the vehicles. We wish the walker a swift recovery and hope to see him back on the fells soon. Many thanks also to the crew of Rescue 936, with some skilful flying in difficult conditions.

5. Lingmell Gill Path, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 18:20 Tue 24th Jan 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had lost the path on the descent from Scafell Pike in very misty conditions. Fortunately the Team Leader was able to successfully locate their position with Phonefind. A Limited Callout was made as initially the pair appeared to still be in difficulty, however, they then managed to cross Lingmell Gill and find the main path down to Wasdale. This avoided any team members being deployed on the fell on this occasion.

6. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:05 Thu 26th Jan 2023

The team was called today about a walker reporting himself cragfast. Phonefind was then used successfully once again to provide an accurate location, and this was determined to be around Pulpit Rock on Scafell Pike. Our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT were asked to support as was a Coastguard helicopter to potentially transfer team members and heavy crag equipment quickly to the summit plateau. Rescue 936 from Caernarfon responded and helped hugely by directly rescuing the walker with a winch from the crag. They then flew them back down to the valley to safety. This saved the teams from a long carry to and from the summit plateau. Our thanks to both Duddon and Furness MRT and also the crew of Rescue 936 once again. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/

7. Skew Gill, Great End - Alert - 19:22 Mon 6th Feb 2023

The Team Leader was alerted by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had lost the path in the dark and were concerned for their safety. Happily, after only a few minutes after the first call, they managed to find the path and quickly called to stand us down.

8. Wastwater Screes - Full Callout - 12:50 Sat 11th Feb 2023

The team was called today about a walker on the Screes path who had fallen and injured her ankle. It was called in to Cumbria Police by another couple who were passing. The Team Leader called the team out, and the team boat was mobilised. The advance foot party arrived on scene, assessed, provided pain relief and applied a splint to make her more comfortable. A short transfer was made to the boat, and then the walker was ferried to the other side of the lake in a well rehearsed manoeuvre. More team members were waiting there for another short journey to the land ambulance, and her onward transfer to hospital. We wish the walker a swift recovery and would like to thank the passing couple for their help.

9. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 14:32 Sat 11th Feb 2023

As the first callout was still ongoing a second call was received from Cumbria Police. Another slip from a walker resulting in a leg injury, serious enough to prevent any further progress. Due to the resources already committed, and the potential for a serious injury, further assistance was requested from GNAAS for helicopter support. They duly obliged but unfortunately the ground was too steep to get a landing site close enough to help. The Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon with winching capability was then dispatched along with extra support from our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT. When team members arrived on scene, the walker was assessed, given pain relief and the injured leg splinted. On arrival, the Coastguard helicopter team was able to winch into the aircraft and transfer to hospital. The team then escorted the walker’s partner back to the valley floor. We wish the walker well and hope to see her back on the fell soon. We’d like to thank both helicopter crews and Duddon and Furness MRT for their help once again.

10. Wastwater Screes - Limited Callout - 16:33 Mon 13th Feb 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police regarding a family whose dog was injured as they were crossing the Screes boulder field. They felt unable to move safely in either direction. A limited callout was made to deploy the team boat and ‘pick off’ the family group. Other team members made their way on foot to provide reassurance. The transfer to the boat was completed successfully and the family dropped off on the other side of the lake where their car was located. The team then stood down and returned to base to ready the vehicles for the next callout.

11. Muncaster Castle - Limited Callout - 18:12 Thu 16th Feb 2023

The team was called by North West Ambulance Service to assist with a casualty transfer. A visitor to Muncaster Castle had slipped and painfully injured his knee, rendering him unable to move. Once on scene the teams worked together to assess, provide pain relief and splint the leg, before stretchering the short distance to the ambulance for the onward transfer to hospital. We wish the gentleman all the best for a swift recovery.

12. Scafell Pike - Alert - 20:12 Sat 18th Feb 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who were overdue from a walk up Scafell Pike. As the Team Leader and other team members were making enquiries and searching likely car parks the good news that the walkers had turned up safe and well was received and the team stood down.

13. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 22:15 Sat 18th Feb 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had lost the path on the summit plateau and became disoriented in the mist and rain. They were wet and extremely cold due to the significant wind chill and damp conditions and also had minor injuries from some slips and trips trying to find the path. The Team Leader made a full callout, as in the worst case at least one stretcher carry was needed. In addition a ‘talk and walk-off’ was not possible due to a poor mobile signal. Additional resources were once again requested and supplied by Duddon and Furness MRT. An advance party arrived on scene with additional warm clothing and encouragement, and fortunately the two walkers were able to recover enough to gingerly start to walk off the hill. This then helped to warm them further and with the assistance and further encouragement from other arriving team members, the two walkers managed to walk off the fell to safety. This good outcome was enabled by their good clothing and particularly their use of survival blankets that they had in their packs. We hope that the walkers recover well. A huge note of thanks once again to Duddon and Furness MRT for their support. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

14. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 14:06 Sun 19th Feb 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about a walker in a party of two whose knee was spasming and so was struggling to keep moving. A full callout was made with the possibility of a stretcher carry. Once again Duddon and Furness MRT provided extra help. However, the walker managed to keep going slowly until the advance party met up with them in the Hollowstones area. After a discussion it was agreed that a slow and careful descent to Brackenclose was still possible and this was completed without further incident. We wish the walker well.

1. Corridor Route, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 16:27 Sun 19th Feb 2023

During incident 14, a further call was received regarding a walker who had sprained their ankle on the Corridor Route. As the first incident was under control by this point, team members were diverted from Brackenclose to Gavel Neese to support. However, a short time later a further call was received from the casualty party saying that MR support was not needed and they would manage to make their own way off the fell. The team the stood down and returned to base to replenish the vehicles.

16. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:31 Mon 20th Feb 2023

Wasdale Mountain Rescue team were alerted by Cumbria Police at 18.26 hrs on Monday 20 February about a lone walker who had reported himself as lost on the ridge between Scafell Pike and Great End in the Lake District. Mobile phone reception was very poor, but a location was quickly established and although the weather was deteriorating with thick mist and rain, he was asked to stay where he was and shelter from the wind. Under these conditions, a “talk-off” with rapidly declining phone battery and areas of known no signal at all would have meant the Team Leader losing contact with him, and an impossibly large area to search in very dangerous ground. The team responded quickly as we were already at the rescue base for a training night. Two fast team members, travelling very light with immediate first aid, warm clothing and a shelter were dispatched as there was concern that the casualty would already be very hypothermic. Back up parties followed with additional equipment. The lost walker was not found at the original location, and contact had been lost so a search of the area was mounted in exceptionally difficult conditions. As we had expected to find him at the original location, many of the team members were carrying heavy loads, including stretcher halves. Also an Autopulse which is a life saving mechanical device for carrying out prolonged CPR in the event of a cardiac arrest resulting from severe hypothermia. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team and Cockermouth search dogs were requested and they approached the search area from the North. By the early hours of the morning he had still not been found and teams reluctantly came off the hill having done all they could overnight in extremely cold and wet conditions. The search continued as callout 18

17. Pillar - Alert - 23:24 Mon 20th Feb 2023

As incident 16 was ongoing with the initial search for a missing walker, another call arrived from Cumbria Police about two walkers who were overdue after a walk up Pillar. As any search for this was more likely to be in Ennerdale, and also due to the ongoing callout in progress near Broad Crag summit, Cockermouth MRT kindly agreed to take over ownership. Happily the missing walkers were located quickly in the Ennerdale valley. Many thanks to Cockermouth MRT for their help.

18. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 06:03 Tue 21st Feb 2023

The search from callout 16 continued at first light with more Rescue Team members and search dogs from across Cumbria and the North East. The weather remained wet and very misty, making searching in bad ground very challenging and negating the use of helicopter support. He was eventually found at around 14.30hrs as teams were making their way off the hill, on the East bank of Piers Gill. He was hypothermic, with knee, leg and foot injuries, but thankfully alive. Teams brought a stretcher and necessary equipment up to the scene, and after treatment he was stretchered off the hill and taken to hospital. We rarely comment on a rescue, but in this case, we would like to say he was very, very fortunate to have survived his ordeal. We also have to say that Google maps on smart phones are not suitable for navigating on the hills, they lack detail and of course will not work with a flat battery. There is no substitute for a map and compass and being able to use them. They can save one’s life. There were over 70 rescuers from 9 teams involved along with search dogs and team drones. The team wishes to thank the incredible support provided from all the teams that were involved from across Cumbria and from adjacent regions. Also the willingness of both the Helimed and Coastguard helicopter to respond, but prevented by the bad weather.

19. Scafell Pike - Alert - 18:49 Mon 27th Feb 2023

We were called in the evening about two walkers who had set off for a walk up Scafell Pike earlier in the afternoon and were now overdue. A family member was becoming increasingly concerned. Fortunately as the Team Leader was making initial enquiries the walkers turned up in the valley and the team was stood down.

20. Middleboot Knotts, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 22:36 Mon 6th Mar 2023

We were called yesterday evening about a lone walker who had lost his bearings on the descent from Scafell Pike and was now very cold and exhausted. He had a tent and sleeping bag so was able to shelter on what was a very cold night at high elevation. Fortunately a location was obtained from the original call to Cumbria Police so a limited callout was made. Once on scene the team provided additional warm clothing and then escorted the walker back down to safety in the Wasdale valley. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/

21. Corney Fell - Limited Callout - 20:39 Sat 11th Mar 2023

We were asked last weekend to support Duddon and Furness MRT in a sweep of the fell roads over Birker and Corney Fells.

22. Scafell Pike - Alert - 18:37 Sat 18th Mar 2023

We were called last night by Cumbria Police regarding a group of 3 walkers who were overdue from a walk up Scafell Pike. Fortunately as the Team Leader was gathering information the missing group turned up safe and well in the valley and the team was stood down.

23. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 19:33 Sat 18th Mar 2023

In the second call of the evening from Cumbria Police a single walker and a separate group of two walkers were reported to be struggling to descend to safety into the valley, having slipped several times, and at least one was becoming very cold. A limited

callout was made to assess the situation and provide further assistance. Once on scene team members were able to provide additional help, support and encouragement to enable all three walkers to mobilise and make a slow descent back to Brackenclose to their accommodation and vehicle.

24. Kirkfell - Limited Callout - 14:56 Thu 23rd Mar 2023

We were called today by Cumbria Police regarding two walkers who were reported to be on a steep scree slope on Kirk Fell. They were exhausted, becoming increasingly cold and one had a hand injury from a fall. A limited callout was quickly initiated to help. Whilst en-route further information was received that one of the walkers was becoming more seriously affected by the cold, and so air support with winching capability was requested from the Coastguard. Rescue 936 from Caernarfon was tasked. Once on scene a medical assessment was performed before assisting with the winch into the helicopter. The casualty was flown to safety and then transferred to land ambulance for onward transfer to hospital. The team then escorted the other walker back down into the valley before returning to base to reset the vehicles. Many thanks to the Rescue 936 crew for their quick response once again.

25. Broad Crag - Limited Callout - 18:29 Fri 24th Mar 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had made a navigational error on the descent from Scafell Pike and had ended up on difficult ground to the North of Broad Crag summit. Now finding themselves with steep drops all around, darkness falling and deteriorating weather conditions they wisely called for help. Phonefind was used by the Team Leader to successfully locate the walkers. Fortunately the pair were intending to wild camp lower down, so were well equipped to safely spend the night out. This was decided as the best course of action to minimise risk to the team with a callout requested for an RV at base at 0600 on Saturday. The next morning, a group of four team members were deployed to the walkers’ location, where additional warm clothing and helmets were given. They were then assisted back up the steep ground to the summit of Broad Crag, from where a standard walk-off could take place. The walkers were escorted to Wasdale Head Inn, from where they were looking forward to a warmup, food and drink and and then a long and expensive taxi journey back to their car. The team members made their way back to base to replenish the vehicle and enjoy tea and pizza. However, just as the cuppas were being finished, the pager sounded for the next job……. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/

26. Great Gable - Full Callout - 13:10 Sat 25th Mar 2023

In the second deployment of the day, we were called by Cumbria Police about a walker who had slipped close to the summit of Great Gable and sustained a suspected broken ankle. Unable to bear any weight, other walkers had managed to carefully carry her down the fell most of the way to Styhead Tarn. As some members of the team had just returned from the previous callout, and with numbers also a little low for the long and difficult carry down to Wasdale Head, additional assistance was requested from our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT and also a Coastguard helicopter. Both were able to respond quickly. Rescue 936 mobilised from Caernarfon and was first ‘on scene’ however at this point the cloud base was too low to safely extract the casualty directly. However, we were grateful to accept the offer to lift both Wasdale and Duddon team members from Gavel Neese to Styhead Tarn, which enabled us to get help to the casualty much quicker. Once on scene the team medics assessed and splinted the ankle, before the stretcher carry down to Styhead Tarn. Rescue 936 was then able to return to pick up the casualty and take her to hospital with some skilful flying in difficult and variable weather conditions, saving us significant effort. The teams then made their way off the fell, with the intent to go back to their respective bases and replenish vehicles. However, shortly after the vehicles got moving, the next call from Cumbria Police arrived…… Huge thanks again to the crew of Rescue 936 and Duddon and Furness MRT. Also to the walkers who stoically carried her a significant distance down from the summit. A great team effort all round. We wish the walker a quick recovery and hope to see her back on the fell soon.

27. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 17:08 Sat 25th Mar 2023

In the third and last deployment of the day, both Wasdale MRT and Duddon and Furness MRT vehicles were asked to hold position on their return to base from the previous tasking. A further call had been received from Cumbria Police regarding a walker who was reported to be feeling unwell and dizzy after being on the fell for many hours. They were also wet and cold, and unable to make further progress. Members of both teams responded once more and returned to Brackenclose for the ascent, with Duddon and Furness MRT first on the hill. On arrival the Duddon and Furness MRT team members found that many passing walkers had stopped to help the casualty in various ways : food and drink, energy gels, emergency shelter and foil blanket. This no doubt helped the casualty both physically and psychologically and many thanks go to all those who delayed their own journeys to help a fellow walker. The team medics then assessed the casualty but following this had enough concerns to request a quicker evacuation to hospital via helicopter. Once again, the Coastguard team were engaged and this time Rescue 199 from Prestwick was despatched to assist, with the team on scene continuing to provide monitoring and reassurance. With the cloud base lifting nicely, Rescue 199 was able to access the casualty site and then fly the casualty to hospital for further assessment. We hope he recovers quickly and is able to return to the fells soon. Thanks again to Duddon and Furness MRT and the crew of Rescue 199. This time both MRT teams returned to base and then their homes without another call. in total, the Wasdale MRT base was operational yesterday from 0530 until 2330 with three lengthy back to back callouts. A bit of an epic day!

28. Pillar - Full Callout - 15:44 Mon 27th Mar 2023

A call was received yesterday from Cumbria Police regarding a lone walker who had departed with the intention of walking from Wasdale Head to Pillar. A family member had reported him as overdue and was concerned for his safety. The car parks (and pub!) at Wasdale Head were checked, which confirmed that he was likely to be still on the fell. When he still had not turned up in the valley some time later the Team Leader called out the team to make the most of the remaining daylight. A call was also made to Cockermouth MRT to help as Pillar summit represents the border of our respective areas, with quicker access via Ennerdale. Happily, as the first team vehicle was heading into Wasdale the missing walker’s car was observed heading out. He had also just notified the police of his safe return having seen the request to do so on his windscreen. A good outcome. Many thanks to Cockermouth MRT for their quick response. (Photo of Jess from another callout for attention )

29. Scafell Pike - Alert - 14:18 Sat 1st Apr 2023

A call was received from North West Ambulance Service on Saturday regarding a walker who had fallen and sustained a head injury. As the Team Leader was gathering information and preparing to call the team out, a passing Mountain Leader stopped to assist. He provided shelter, assessed the situation, and provided an update back to base. It was agreed that the walker was able to walk off the hill under supervision from the ML, with the team ready to respond if needed. Fortunately this was not required and the team stood down when the party arrived at Wasdale Head. Many thanks to the ML who stepped up and provided much needed assistance and reassurance very quickly.

30. Langstrath - Alert - 17:00 Sat 1st Apr 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who has fallen with a suspected broken ankle. However the Team Leader quickly established that this was not in our ‘patch’ and the incident was handed over to Keswick MRT.

31. Mickledore, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 03:38 Sun 2nd Apr 2023

An early Sunday morning call arrived from Cumbria Police about two walkers who who become benighted high on Scafell Pike in the mist. Having spent many hours trying to find their way, one of the walkers had also slipped and tripped multiple times and had sustained several injuries. The team were called and due to low numbers from pre-arranged training courses, we requested additional support from Duddon And Furness MRT. The casualties were located and initially provided with a team shelter, additional clothing, food and drink. As expected one of the casualties was injured, in significant pain and was not able to safely walk off the fell. As such evacuation help was provided by Rescue 936 from Caernarfon. Strong pain relief was provided before the casualty was handed over and winched into the helicopter for transfer to hospital. We wish her a quick recovery. Many thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT and the crew of Rescue 936 once again. A great team effort again.

32. Eskdale - Limited Callout - 14:31 Tue 4th Apr 2023

A call was received from North West Ambulance Service requesting assistance with a person who had collapsed. A callout was made and a team vehicle was quickly dispatched to the scene. On arrival the lady was found to be recovering. After assessment it was agreed that the casualty’s friends/family would use their own vehicle to transfer her to hospital for further checks and so the team stood down at this point. We wish the lady a quick recovery.

33. Scafell Pike - Alert - 22:21 Sat 8th Apr 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police yesterday evening. Three walkers were expected to have been in contact with a friend after climbing Scafell Pike. The friend was increasingly concerned for their safety as he could not get in touch via mobile phone. Fortunately as the Team Leader was gathering information the missing walkers sent a text message to let him know they had successfully returned to their vehicles and were preparing to set off home.

34. Lingmell Gill Path, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:31 Sun 9th Apr 2023

The team was called this afternoon by Cumbria Police regarding a walker who had slipped on the path, sustained a very painful ankle injury and was unable to bear any weight. She was also reported to be cold. A full callout was quickly underway the team vehicles made their way down the valley to Brackenclose. Once on scene the team medics assessed the injury, gave strong pain relief and splinted the ankle to prevent further painful movement from a a suspected fracture. She was then carefully transferred into the team stretcher for the relatively short carry to meet an awaiting ambulance in the valley. Our thanks are due to passing walkers who helped and in particular to John Milton who temporarily donated his sleeping bag to the casualty to keep her warm whilst waiting for the team. We wish the walker a speedy recovery and hope to see her back on the fell soon.

35. Scafell Pike - Alert - 23:27 Fri 14th Apr 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police regarding two walkers who were overdue after a walk up Scafell Pike, possibly continuing onto Scafell. They were reported by their two friends who had returned successfully having intentionally split up from the others earlier in the afternoon. As the Team Leader was gathering information the missing pair thankfully turned up in Eskdale at the Woolpack pub. This was very welcome news as the prospect of covering a huge search area over the two mountains from an intended upper Eskdale egress was a significant challenge. It’s unknown what caused the late arrival, but it’s worth a reminder that Upper Eskdale is a vast and remote area and requires an early start, and good navigational skills, including map and compass, especially in the dark. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

36. Cam Spout, Scafell - Alert - 07:26 Sun 16th Apr 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police requesting assistance for a walker who had made some navigational errors after an early morning summit of Scafell Pike. Trying to descend back down to Wasdale, he had got onto some difficult ground to the West of Cam Spout Crag in Eskdale. Fortunately with the aid of an accurate Phonefind location he was able to be redirected by the Team Leader uphill to the ridge between Scafell and Slight Side. At this point our friends at Duddon and Furness successfully continued the ‘talk off’ to allow the Team Leader to attend pre-arranged medical training in base. Thanks to them for the cover provided oce again. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better.

37. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 20:50 Sun 16th Apr 2023

The team was called by North West Ambulance Service regarding a walker who has taken a tumble fall of 5-10m and had sustained multiple injuries, including a head injury and deep cuts to his leg. The Team Leader made a swift callout and also asked an advance party to get to the scene quickly. Once on scene a medical assessment was made, and the casualty was treated and given pain relief. He was then transferred to the stretcher and carefully taken back to Brackenclose to the waiting land ambulance for the onward journey to hospital. We wish the walker a very quick recovery. He was incredibly stoic, having sustained his injuries at the bottom of Mickledore gully on the scree, and somehow getting close to the stream crossing before calling for help.

38. Broad Crag Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 15:09 Tue 18th Apr 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about a walker who had fallen, hit their head and were now unable to walk any further. The location was established via Phonefind to be close to Broad Crag Col. Helimed 58 responded quickly due to the nature of the injuries reported, and landed close to the Scafell Pike summit, leaving a walk down to the casualty for the helicopter medical crew. The Wasdale team also mobilised with all three team vehicles to support a long carry off should that have been required. Once on scene the Helimed 58 crew assessed and treated the casualty, but then requested a Coastguard helicopter with winching capability as the safest and quickest evacuation for the casualty. Rescue 936 from Caernarfon was duly dispatched and, once on scene, winched the casualty for onward transfer to hospital. This allowed the Wasdale team to stand-down having mainly observed the skilful flying on the way up, but also helped with stabilising the winch. It’s important for us all to keep going in these circumstances just in case the aircraft are diverted for technical or prioritisation reasons. Our thanks once again to the crews of both aircraft, some excellent multi-agency teamwork to get the best outcome for the walker. We hope she has a swift recovery from her injuries and is back on the fells soon.

39. Netherbeck, Wasdale - Full Callout - 16:55 Tue 18th Apr 2023

With incident 38 in full swing, a further call was received from North West Ambulance Service about a walker who had fallen and had broken her wrist. Communications were difficult in that area with messages being relayed from scene via a text ‘relay’ to NWAS. With many resources being committed to the ongoing incident a further callout was made and some team members that were already in base responded quickly. Fortunately as they were setting off on foot they met up with the casualty who had managed to walk off themselves. Team medics made an assessment and then splinted the wrist, and then the partner drove the injured walker to hospital in their own vehicle. We wish her a speedy recovery.

40. Scafell Pike Summit, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:08 Sun 23rd Apr 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Poilce about a walker who had taken a fall very close to Scafell Pike summit. She had potentially fractured her wrist and was becoming increasingly cold with the wind chill at the summit. The Team Leader made a full team callout and also asked RAF Leeming MRT for support as they were training in the area. Due to the condition of the walker and the time needed to reach her, Helimed 08 was also asked to assist. They were able to respond quickly and land close by, assess and treat the walker and then fly her to hospital. This allowed both Wasdale and the RAF team to stand down. Thanks to the crew of Helimed 08 and RAF Leeming MRT for their help. We wish the walker a swift recovery.

41. Whin Rigg - Alert - 22:00 Sat 29th Apr 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about an overdue walker. He had set off at 0900 that morning and his friend had become concerned for his safety once darkness fell. Happily he turned up safe and well after after a long day out on the fells as the Team Leader was gathering information.

42. Scafell Pike - Alert - 09:39 Sun 30th Apr 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about a walker who had become separated from the rest of his group. There was some concern due to lack of additional clothing to stay warm, but as the Team Leader was making a Limited Callout the walker managed to regain contact with his group, allowing a very swift stand-down. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better.

43. Corridor Route, Scafell Pike - Alert - 19:42 Sun 30th Apr 2023

We were called by Keswick MRT via Cumbria Police about a report from a walker who was concerned about another walking group of five descending from Scafell Pike along the Corridor Route. The Keswick and Wasdale Team Leaders discussed the situation (they were currently on our ‘patch’ but possibly aiming to walk into Borrowdale) and decided that no action was to be taken at that time as there was no indication that assistance was required. Keswick MRT later received a further call requesting assistance as they were now at the Styhead stretcher box and in need of help to get back to their cars at Seathwaite. They deployed along with RAF Leeming (see KMRT callout #36), and the Wasdale Team Leader stood down.

44. Corridor Route, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:26 Mon 1st May 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about a walker who had turned over on her ankle and was unable to weight bear. Due to poor signal it took a while to determine that the location was on the Corridor Route but in the meantime a full callout was made. Due to slightly low numbers support was also requested from Duddon and Furness MRT for a potentially long carry. Once on scene the team medics assessed and treated the walker before carefully transferring to the stretcher for the long carry to Wasdale Head and rendezvous with a land ambulance. Thanks to Duddon MRT for their help once again. We wish the walker a swift recovery and hope she’s back on the fell soon.

1. Eskdale - Alert - 23:18 Sun 7th May 2023

The team was called last night by Cumbria Police about a walker who was overdue from a walk from Eskdale YHA. He had sent a message earlier in the afternoon from the Langdale YHA saying he was returning via the Langdale summits. On that basis the Team Leader made contact with the Team Leader at Langdale Ambleside MRT. Fortunately, as initial plans were being formed the walker turned up safe and well at Eskdale YHA and both teams stood down. Thanks to LAMRT for their support.

46. Mosedale - Full Callout - 12:43 Tue 9th May 2023

The team was called by North West Ambulance Service about a walker who had suddenly become very unwell. Other walkers had stopped to help but with no mobile signal, one of them descended to Wasdale Head to phone 999. The team responded quickly but by the time they reached him, the walker had recovered and was walking back himself to Wasdale Head. After an assessment by the team Casualty Carers, he was able to continue walking slowly off the fell. At Wasdale Head he was handed over to a land ambulance for further medical assessment and transfer to hospital. Our last tasking on this callout was to look after the walker’s dog back at base. Thanks to the team member who patiently waited for many hours before the dog could be reunited with family. We hope the walker has a speedy recovery.

47. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 03:43 Wed 10th May 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had split up from their original group on the fell and then had not returned back to Borrowdale as expected. They had parted ways close to the top of Scafell Pike the previous evening, could not be contacted by mobile phone (possibly out of battery by this point) and had limited equipment to keep warm. With a vast area to search, the Team Leader asked neighbouring teams to search the obvious routes in their ares and Duddon and Furness MRT were asked to cover Upper Eskdale. Available search dogs were also drafted in to help sweep larger areas. The missing people were found by a search dog at about 11am in the far reaches of Upper Eskdale, cold but otherwise well. They were then helped off the fell by Duddon and Furness team members for the long walk back to the road. Thanks to all of the other teams and dogs that supported this search, happily a good outcome this time.

48. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 11:30 Wed 10th May 2023

After a good outcome to our overnight search, we were stood down and making our way off the hill. However, our search dog Jess clearly hadn't heard the radio messages and alerted us to a lone walker at the top of Piers Gill. The walker had suffered from a fall, was carrying a minor injury, and struggling to continue. Team members provided assistance and helped the walker back to Wasdale. It is somewhat unusual to find our own job, but he was very grateful to see red jackets emerge from the mist in his hour of need!

49. Great Gable - Alert - 16:52 Wed 10th May 2023

In the third tasking of the day a lone walker was struggling to find a safe way off the summit of Great Gable and asked for help. The Team Leader was able to talk to the walker with a good mobile signal and provided support remotely to guide him onto the Styhead path. Regular contact was maintained as signal allowed and a later the grateful walker confirmed he was safely back at Wasdale Head. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

50. Slight Side, Scafell - Full Callout - 21:23 Wed 10th May 2023

In the fourth and last callout of the day, two walkers found themselves on steep ground on the Eskdale side of Slight Side. With little or no mobile signal and some potentially dangerous steep ground to negotiate to get to safety, the walkers were asked to stay put and the team were called out to locate and escort the walkers out. After a long walk in, with teams both above and below the walkers, they were successfully located and helped down into Upper Eskdale. The walkers were then escorted off and brought back to base to pick up a taxi to their intended location at Wasdale Head. With the first callout of the day starting at 03:43 and the last team members leaving base at about 06:00 the next day it proved to be a long day at the ‘office’. All four callouts were due to walkers losing their way in the mist, so it’s worth another reminder that the right knowledge, skills and gear are needed to navigate on the high fells in misty weather. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

51. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 14:55 Sat 13th May 2023

The team was called yesterday about a walker who had fallen and sustained a head injury and a suspected fractured wrist on the descent from Scafell Pike. A full callout was made, and due to slightly low numbers for a long carry additional support was once again requested and provided by Duddon and Furness MRT. As the team was ascending Helimed 08 became available and also responded. They were able to fly onto Lingmell Col and make the last part of the journey on foot to the casualty. They arrived first and treated the walker, before Wasdale team members arrived on scene and assisted her to the helicopter for the onward flight to hospital. Many thanks to the Helimed 08 crew and to Duddon and Furness MRT. We wish the walker a speedy recovery.

52. Wastwater Screes - Full Callout - 17:36 Sat 13th May 2023

As the team was waiting for the helicopter to depart from the previous callout, a second call was received from Cumbria Police. A walker on the Screes lakeshore was in need of assistance. Details and exact location were not available as the message was relayed from people on the lake, with no phone signal from the casualty himself. The team boat was dispatched from base and other Wasdale and Duddon and Furness MRT team members redirected from the first incident. However, when the boat arrived

in the expected location they were informed that the casualty had already been ferried across the lake by a canoeist. After the boat team had caught up with the casualty, a medical assessment was made and happily the walker was well enough to return to his hotel.

53. Grains Gill - Alert - 18:25 Sat 13th May 2023

On Saturday afternoon, whilst incident #51 and 52 were still ongoing, we got a call from Cumbria Police about the now famous Akita dog, Rocky. On checking the grid reference it was out of our patch and so was transferred to Keswick MRT. They duly took the job on and got the deserved plaudits from a lovely dog rescue

54. Hardknott Pass - Full Callout - 12:30 Sun 14th May 2023

We were called on Sunday afternoon by North West Ambulance Service about a cyclist who had misjudged a downhill bend at speed, veered off the road and took a tumble off her bike. She was unable to move, with facial injuries and concerns also about her back and shoulder. A normal road ambulance is unable to safely negotiate the steep gradients of Hardknott Pass. A full callout was made with two team vehicles dispatched from base. Once on scene casualty carers assessed and treated the cyclist and carefully transferred to a team stretcher. A short carry was made to the waiting ambulance at Jubilee Bridge, before a handover and subsequent transfer to hospital. We wish the cyclist well and a quick recovery.

55. Bowfell - - 15:18 Sun 14th May 2023

As the team was returning to base from the previous callout, a further call was received from Cumbria Police. A lone walker was lost in the cloud on the Eskdale side of Bowfell. Mobile phone signal was extremely patchy at best and Phone Find texts were not being received. A limited callout was made, and also a similar small team was dispatched by Duddon and Furness MRT from Cockley Beck. As the teams were walking in, a grid reference was able to be determined from the walker’s phone, and so she was able to be located reasonably easily. Two Members of the Duddon team then kindly escorted the walker back to her intended destination of Langdale and the teams stood down.

56. Yewbarrow - Alert - 19:22 Mon 15th May 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about two overdue walkers from a walk up Yewbarrow. A family member was concerned as it was several hours after they were expected back. The Team Leader was in the process of checking car parks and local hostelries, and gathering more information when the news came through that both walkers had turned up safe and well. The team was then stood down.

57. Wastwater Screes - Full Callout - 16:04 Fri 19th May 2023

As members of the team were starting to set up a team barbecue on a sunny Friday afternoon, we were called by Cumbria Police about two people reporting themselves stuck on the Screes on the South side of Wast Water. They also had a dog with them. Fortunately as part of the plan to be able to respond for exactly this event, the boat had already been made ready to transport to the lake - just in case! An advance foot party was also tasked to locate the casualty party. On this occasion the foot party was first on scene, and they were able to guide them carefully into the arriving boat for the short transfer back to the pump house at the West shore of the lake. The team then redeployed back to Wasdale Youth Hostel to catch up on the Barbecue with no further call-outs in the evening .

58. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:23 Sat 20th May 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police in the first of three calls on Saturday afternoon. A very experienced walker had slipped, sustained an injury to his knee and was now unable to bear any weight. A full callout was made with extra support once again requested from our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT for a potentially long carry. However, whilst team members were arriving at base, a second potentially urgent call was received and diversion to this callout delayed our response. Due to the delay Helimed H08 then became available to help and was available to land close to the casualty, treat and the evacuate him to hospital. Team members arrived on scene in time to take some nice footage of the departing helicopter! Thanks to the crew of Helimed 08 for their help once again. We wish the walker a swift recovery.

59. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:55 Sat 20th May 2023

In the second call of the afternoon a report was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had collapsed and was not responsive. As some team members were in base assembling for the first callout, a team vehicle was despatched within three minutes of the call. Swift progress was made up the valley, however whilst en-route better news was received that the walker had recovered significantly and was now conscious and breathing. Once on scene the casualty carers performed further assessment and provided some treatment to help her recover further. After this she was able to walk slowly down into the valley for further observation by the awaiting land ambulance. We wish her a swift recovery.

60. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 17:43 Sat 20th May 2023

As team members were back at the vehicles having dealt with two previous callouts a passing walker informed us that a someone had fallen and sustained a suspected broken ankle at the intake wall on the main tourist path. This was confirmed by a call received from Cumbria Police. Both Duddon and Wasdale teams mobilised once more, and retraced steps to the casualty site. Once on scene casualty carers assessed and splinted the very painful injury. Strong pain relief was administered to make the casualty more comfortable. Once transferred carefully into the team stretcher and casualty bag the teams made the carry back down to Brackenclose. A handover was made to a land ambulance before the onward journey to hospital. We wish the casualty

a swift recovery and hope to see her back on the fell soon. Many thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT for their help on all three callouts during a busy afternoon.

61. Scafell - Full Callout - 02:01 Tue 23rd May 2023

An early call from Cumbria Police was received regarding two walkers who had set off for a walk up Scafell at 12:30 the previous day and had not returned as expected. Another family member had received texts through the night indicating they were lost and struggling to find their way down. As the conditions were favourable time was allowed for them to return under their own steam. However, when this had not occurred, a full callout was made at approximately 0630. Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs were also requested to help due to the very large search area. However as the search teams were mobilising, news was received that the missing pair had turned up safe and well in Eskdale, and the teams stood down. Thanks to the search dogs and handlers that had agreed to help. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

62. Scafell Pike - Alert - 17:18 Tue 23rd May 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police. Two walkers had split from the main group on the descent from Scafell Pike, and were now overdue. However, as the Team Leader was gathering information, the news arrived that they had turned up safe and well and were reunited with their friends. The team was then stood down. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

63. Corridor Route, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:00 Tue 23rd May 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who had taken a tumble on the Corridor Route. He had injured his knee and was unable to move. A full callout was swiftly made. Once on scene, team Casualty Carers assessed and then splinted his leg, that had both ankle and knee injuries. After packaging in a casualty bag and stretcher, the long carry was made to Gavel Neese with a mixture of sledging and using the stretcher wheel. The walker was then transferred to a team vehicle to the car park at Wasdale Head, to meet the land ambulance for the handover. We wish the walker a swift recovery and hope he gets back to his fundraising walks very soon.

64. Scafell - Alert - 16:01 Wed 24th May 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about two walkers who were concerned for their safety on rocky and unstable ground. Shortly afterwards a successful Phonefind confirmed they had managed to make their way back onto the path. Further Phonefinds gave confirmation to the Team Leader that all was well on their descent. Later the walkers confirmed they were safely off the hill without the need for a team callout. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

65. Eskdale - Alert - 17:05 Thu 25th May 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a two walkers who had separated earlier in the day and then one had not been able to be contacted for nearly 7 hours and was considered overdue. Another team member was asked to look for the missing walker’s car in Eskdale, and happily found the person in the car park at Wha House. The team then stood down.

66. Gosforth - Limited Callout - 19:26 Sat 27th May 2023

The team received a call yesterday evening from North West Ambulance Service requesting assistance to access and transport a patient who lived a distance away from a paved road. It was unsure whether the land ambulance could access safely. A small team of two local team members were asked to drive the team Land Rover and stand by. In the event, the ambulance was able to access the patient and transport to hospital without assistance, but we were there just in case.

67. Tongue Pots, Eskdale - Full Callout - 12:54 Sun 28th May 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police yesterday afternoon about someone who had jumped into the pools at Tongue Pot in Upper Eskdale and had suffered a dislocated shoulder. A full callout was quickly made, as these injuries are typically extremely painful. Helicopter support was unavailable at this time as they were all committed to other tasking. Once on scene the casualty was assessed and treated with strong pain relief. At this point Coastguard helicopter Rescue 199 became available from Prestwick and was able to evacuate the shoulder casualty directly to hospital. This saved a long carry which would also have been very uncomfortable for the casualty. Thanks to R199 for their support, and also for the swift return of the stretcher to base shortly afterwards.

68. Tongue Pots, Eskdale - Full Callout - 12:54 Sun 28th May 2023

Whilst incident number 67 was ongoing, a second casualty also presented themselves for help whilst on scene with a laceration to their foot. This was fortunately relatively minor and after applying a dressing they were able to walk out to the road.

1. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 20:34 Mon 29th May 2023

The team received a call yesterday evening from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who was tired and worried about being able to safely return to Seathwaite in the dark. She had no torch, was inexperienced on the high fells and had low battery life on her mobile phone. She had set off in the afternoon at 2.30pm. As she was not lost and on a path with walkers still on the fell, she was advised to take the shorter route down to Wasdale with others from other groups. However, contact was lost and she did not confirm she was safely back in a valley overnight, so a search was initiated by both Keswick MRT and Wasdale in the morning. Search dogs were also called out. Fortunately shortly after the callout it was confirmed that she had made it safely down, after spending the night somewhere around Middleboot Knotts. It’s a good reminder that although the nights are short at this time of the year, adequate equipment is still needed if there are delays or things go wrong. Also that a walk up Scafell Pike can tak e many hours depending on starting point and route, conditions, experience and fitness so give yourself plenty of time. We wish the walker well after her adventure. Please share freely to raise awareness, but please refrain from criticism, as this could indirectly prevent others from asking for help from us in the future. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

70. Lingmell Nose - Full Callout - 16:42 Tue 30th May 2023

The team received a call yesterday afternoon from North West Ambulance Service about a walker who had slipped, fallen and sustained an ankle injury. After attempting to carry on she was unable to bear any weight without significant pain. A full team callout ensued and after a warm and steep ascent up Lingmell nose, found the casualty party. Casualty carers then assessed the walker, provided some further pain relief and splinted the ankle. The walker was then carefully transferred to the stretcher and brought back down to Brackenclose with a mixture of sledging and using the wheel. She was then transferred to the walking party’s car for transport to hospital. We hope she has a swift recovery and enjoys the remainder of her holiday.

71. Seathwaite - Alert - 22:02 Sat 3rd Jun 2023

The team received a call yesterday evening about a walker who had slipped and injured her ankle and back whilst descending Scafell Pike towards Seathwaite. As information became available it was confirmed that the location of the walker was outside of our area in Ruddy Gill and therefore in Keswick MRT’s patch. The job was then handed over and the walker was successfully rescued by Keswick MRT.

72. St Bees Head - Full Callout - 10:51 Tue 6th Jun 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police from someone reporting a lone walker with an injured ankle. The person was unable to help the walker to the nearest road and so had called for help. Several team members deployed direct but were unable to find anyone at the expected location. A search in the local area was coordinated, with more team members arriving in team vehicles from base, and also the local Coastguard team searching the coastline. Happily, after about an hour Cumbria Police confirmed they had found the person and the team stood down.

73. Moasdale - Alert - 21:08 Sat 10th Jun 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police yesterday evening about a walker who had slipped, injured their ankle and could not continue. The location via Phonefind was near to Stonesty Pike in Moasdale, which confirmed that they were in Langdale Ambleside MRT’s area. However they were already tasked on another callout so they subsequently asked Duddon and Furness MRT to cover this for them. We hope the walker recovers quickly.

74. Scafell Pike - Alert - 17:24 Mon 12th Jun 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police about two walkers who had spilt up early into a walk up Scafell Pike. The first had completed his walk and was concerned for his friend who had turned back but was now not able to be found in the valley. Neighbouring teams were alerted in case a wider search was needed, but shortly afterwards the missing walker was reported to have turned up and all teams stood down. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

75. Mickledore, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 16:11 Wed 14th Jun 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police about a walker who had taken a wrong turn from her intended route from the summit and then taken a fall. She was also feeling dizzy and faint. The walker was given directions to descend slowly and a small team was called out to walk up and meet her. Once on scene, after an assessment, the walker was able to slowly continue to walk down to the valley under her own steam. Once on the valley, the team stood down after giving advice to rest and rehydrate further.

76. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 15:16 Fri 16th Jun 2023

The team received a call this afternoon from Cumbria Police about a walker who had collapsed whilst descending Scafell Pike. A passing doctor was on scene and his concern was a serious heat related illness. Mountain Leaders on the hill called it in and also other members of the public were assisting. The team were swiftly called out and also Helimed 58 responded quickly from Langwathby. Five Duddon and Furness MRT team members also just happened to be close by and responded quickly. The Helimed crew arrived first and assessed and treated the walker whilst the MR team members ascended as swiftly as possible in the heat. Once stabilised, the quickest evacuation route for the walker involved an uphill stretcher carry, and thanks to some skilful flying to relocate the helicopter by the H58 pilot the effort was significantly reduced. After the short carry the walker was transferred to the aircraft and then flown to hospital to continue his treatment. All in all, a great team effort by members of the

public and the teams involved to get the best outcome for the walker, and we wish him a swift recovery. Our thanks to all parties involved.

77. Wastwater Screes - Full Callout - 16:47 Sat 17th Jun 2023

The team received a call this afternoon from Cumbria Police about a party of three adults and a dog who had lost confidence that the could safely negotiate the lakeshore route at the bottom of the Screes, potentially having gone upwards rather than staying close to the lake. Like many others, they probably found that traversing the boulder fields and/or very loose scree pushed them out of their comfort zone. Some dogs can find it very difficult too. The standard team response was initiated, involving a foot party and a boat party to provide the easiest and quickest rescue, with a further small ‘receiving’ team based on the road side of the lake. However on this occasion we found no people to rescue. Whilst searching with the boat was ongoing, a further message was received from Cumbria Police that the party had managed to self rescue after all, and in the absence of a stable phone signal had been unable to make contact with us. The team was then stood down and returned to base. Edit: The National Trust have recently improved the signage at both ends of the route which should help, but probably won’t avoid all callouts.

78. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:39 Tue 20th Jun 2023

The first involved a walker who had slipped and injured his ankle and was unable to bear weight without significant pain. He had attempted to make his own way off the fell for a long time before a passing walker had called it in and asked for help on his behalf. The team was called and arrived on scene. After an assessment, the walker was still keen to get off himself with some team assistance, but after a short time it became obvious that a stretcher carry was needed. He reluctantly conceded to this and a routine carry was undertaken off the fell to Brackenclose. He then met up with family members who transported him in their vehicle with advice for further assessment at hospital. ‘The ultimate in stoicism’ was a phrase used by a Team Leader for this casualty! We wish him all the best for a swift recovery.

79. Slight Side, Scafell - Full Callout - 14:43 Tue 20th Jun 2023

In the second call of the afternoon a walker was reported to have suffered a suspected broken upper arm after a fall close to the summit of Slight Side. His friend had walked off the fell to raise the alarm. Due to the ongoing incident in Wasdale, more team members were needed in case of the extended stretcher carry and so our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT were asked to be on standby for that. However, the Wasdale party had not long set off on foot from Eskdale, when the welcome sound of the helicopter was heard. Coastguard helicopter R199 from Prestwick had been was able to attend, and then was able to land close by and retrieve the grateful walker. This saved the casualty time with much discomfort from a painful injury with a stretcher carry. Both Duddon and Wasdale teams were then able to stand down. We wish the walker a quick recovery. Many thanks to the crew of Rescue 199 and Duddon and Furness MRT once again.

80. East Buttress, Scafell - Full Callout - 23:14 Wed 21st Jun 2023

A late evening call came on Wednesday night when Cumbria Police alerted us to a lone walker who was cragfast. This was initially reported to be on Broad Stand, but on checking the coordinates from the police call, was confirmed to be slightly further South to our ‘normal’ crag job on the East Buttress of Scafell. Care was taken to understand the exact nature of his predicament as deploying rescue teams immediately in the dark in a crag environment without sleep carries its own risks. On balance, it was decided to deploy as he was on a small ledge with a significant drop beneath, safe in the short term but not to leave for many more hours. Coastguard helicopter support was requested quickly, as a ‘pick off’ winch by them might have been possible. However cloud had descended in the area and, after several attempts, Rescue 199 from Prestwick returned home for fuel, and the teams made their way up the hill for a rope rescue. Extra support was then requested and given by Duddon and Furness MRT. Having ascended Scafell, it took some time for the Wasdale team to establish the best and safest access route, from close to the summit. This involved a diagonal lower of the rescuer. This also meant the casualty was less at risk from rockfall from the rescuer and belay party. Rope protection was used to descend to the point where they could establish belay anchors for the lower. However, at about 3am the clouds lifted sufficiently to attempt another helicopter rescue, and this time Rescue 936 from Caernarfon lifted to support. However, when it arrived, the winch rescue was also assessed to be very risky, so plan A became the rope rescue. The Wasdale team was now in position and a rescuer descended to the cragfast person. The team members below at Mickledore needed to guide the rescuer to the correct location as this was not visible from above. Once on the scene the walker was successfully secured with a harness and attached to the rope for a protected down-climb to safety below. Most of the team members then followed and abseiled down with the excess equipment. The teams and walker were very grateful for the support from the crew of R936 who gave lifts back down to the valley after a long night. The remaining two (unlucky!) Wasdale team members de-rigged and descended by foot back to the valley, as again the helicopter was low on fuel and had to depart. Hearty breakfasts back at base for all were gratefully received after an ‘all-nighter’ and the vehicles were then restocked for the next callout. Many thanks to the crew of Rescue 199 and 936 and Duddon and Furness MRT once again. We’re also sorry if local residents were disturbed by the helicopter activity. A tricky job with great teamwork, and an excellent outcome.

81. Scafell - Full Callout - 15:23 Fri 23rd Jun 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about two walkers who found themselves on steep ground on Scafell and felt it was unsafe to continue in any direction. Initial information was lacking in much detail due to the poor signal and it was not possible to make further contact. However a location was fortunately obtained from the initial police call. A full callout was made to investigate and assist the walkers back to safety. However, as the team were mobilising, a further call was received from the police to say that the walkers had been in touch again. They had been helped by a passing climber and they were now back on safe ground. The log was left open as a precaution overnight, as a request was texted to the walkers to confirm they had to confirm they had reached their intended destination down in the valley. This was not received until the following morning, again due to poor mobile signal in Eskdale. Our thanks to the climber involved, as it saved us a lot of time and effort in wet conditions.

1. Skew Gill, Great End - Full Callout - 16:03 Fri 23rd Jun 2023

A second call on Friday afternoon was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had rolled over on her ankle and had suffered a suspected fracture. Two passing walkers had assisted greatly by walking some distance to obtain mobile signal and call 999. They had also shown initiative to investigate the Keswick MRT Styhead stretcher box and obtain some emergency equipment from there to keep the walker and her daughter warm and sheltered. A full callout was already in progress from the previous alert so the team were diverted to make their way in increasingly wet, windy and cold conditions. Once on scene, team Casualty Carers assessed the walker. She had indeed obtained a painful injury to her lower leg which needed to be aligned and splinted. Strong analgesia was also given to make the long stretcher carry as comfortable as possible. After ‘packaging’ in the team stretcher, the walker was carefully carried back to Wasdale Head. With impeccable timing, a land ambulance arrived at exactly the right moment and a handover was made, before the walker was transferred to hospital for further treatment. We wish her a swift recovery and hope to see her back on the fells soon. Many thanks to the two passing walkers who had helped and had stayed on scene until we arrived.

83. Hardknott Pass - Full Callout - 06:31 Sat 24th Jun 2023

An early start to the day when North West Ambulance Service alerted us to a cyclist who had fallen off his bike and sustained head and hip injuries. A full callout was swiftly made due to the nature of the injuries. Once on scene the team Casualty Carers assessed and treated the injuries whilst awaiting the land ambulance. After a handover, team members returned to base and restocked the vehicles ready for the next tasking. We wish the cyclist a swift recovery.

84. Buckbarrow, Wasdale - Full Callout - 14:52 Sat 24th Jun 2023

The team were called by Cumbria Police about two walkers, one of whom was unable to walk any further, having developed knee problems and was in significant pain. They had walked much further than planned due to difficulties navigating in the mist. After a discussion over the phone with the Team Leader, a full callout was made and team members made their way to the casualty’s location. After an assessment she was ‘packaged’ into the casualty bag and stretcher and carried off the hill back down to Greendale for onward transport in their own vehicle. We hope she has a swift recovery.

85. Mosedale - Alert - 22:22 Sat 24th Jun 2023

The team were called by Cumbria Police about a walker who was overdue. A friend was concerned that he had not been heard from for some time and was not contactable after a long walk in Mosedale. As details of his car were known, a local team member was asked to search all car parks in Wasdale. Fortunately the walker was discovered safe and well at his car at Wasdale Head and no further activity was necessary. (A busy night for ‘3 peakers’ too with many head torches visible up the main tourist path up the ‘Pike!)

86. Dropping Crag, Scafell Pike - Alert - 06:15 Mon 26th Jun 2023

The team were called early on Monday morning by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had become lost the evening before and then spent an unplanned, tiring and uncomfortable night in the mist. A successful Phonefind put them not far from the summit around Dropping Crag. The Team Leader was then able to carefully guide them towards the summit to reset their location and attempt a ‘walk off’ over the phone. However, shortly afterwards they met up with other walkers who helped guide them off the fell. Our thanks to them for their help. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

87. Cold Fell - Alert - 22:18 Tue 27th Jun 2023

The team was alerted by Cumbria Police about a lone walker who was overdue. However, as further information was gathered it was clarified that the location was outside of our operational area and so the tasking was transferred to Cockermouth MRT.

88. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:12 Thu 29th Jun 2023

The team was alerted by Cumbria Police about a walker who had fallen and sustained a head injury. A full callout was quickly made and due to the nature of the injury and the length of time it would take the team to arrive and then evacuate from the fell, air support was also requested. Helimed 58 duly responded and was on scene within about 30 minutes. The injured walker was then transferred in the helicopter to hospital for further assessment and treatment. The Wasdale team was then stood down. Thanks to the Helimed crew for their help once again.

89. Scafell Pike - Alert - 12:14 Sat 1st Jul 2023

The team was alerted by Cumbria Police about a possible search for a missing person somewhere on Scafell Pike. Due to the large area and number of routes to be covered the Duty Team Leader at Duddon and Furness MRT was also notified by us. However, after a short time the police made contact again to let us know that the person had been located and both teams stood down. Thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT once again for their support and readiness to help us out at any time.

90. Beck Head, Great Gable - Full Callout - 16:00 Sat 1st Jul 2023

Both Wasdale and Cockermouth MRTs responded together to assist GNAAS with the call out below. Facebook We would like to add our sincere condolences to his family, friends and workmates at this sad time. Our thoughts are with you all.

91. Scafell Pike - Alert - 00:56 Sun 2nd Jul 2023

The Duty Team Leader received a call from Cumbria Police on Saturday night. A walking party had split up from one of their walkers and were concerned for her safety as she had not returned to the valley floor. However, as further information was being gathered, the walker turned up safe and well, which allowed the thankful Team Leader to return to his bed.

92. Foxes Tarn, Scafell - Full Callout - 15:36 Sun 2nd Jul 2023

Another call was received on Sunday afternoon. Cumbria Police alerted us to a lone walker who was tragically reported to be deceased by another passing walker. Support from Coastguard helicopter R199 was requested, and they were able to give lifts to multiple team members and equipment as far as the cloud base would allow. The team then continued on foot to the reported location and with the utmost care and respect recovered the walker to an accessible location to enable another helicopter lift off the fell. Our thanks to the R199 crew for their valued support. Our thoughts and sincere condolences go to the walker’s family and friends.

93. Scafell - Alert - 18:03 Sun 2nd Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a party of three walkers who had split up near the summit of Scafell. The single walker was now overdue and the others were concerned for his safety. Thankfully, as the Team Leader was gathering more information, the walker turned up in the valley safe and well and the incident was closed.

94. Red Gill, Scafell - Limited Callout - 13:50 Mon 3rd Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who had become stuck on steep ground, somewhere around Lord’s Rake. A limited group of team members and drone pilots were called out to assist. With mobile reception very patchy in that area the Phonefind was less accurate than normal so the exact location was not known. When in the area team members split into smaller groups and located the walker in Red Gill, fortunately not in too serious a predicament. He was then carefully assisted back down to safe ground and all members descended back to Brackenclose.

95. Broad Crag - - 14:07 Wed 5th Jul 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police about a walker who had fallen and suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder. As the location was high up near Broad Crag summit, helicopter support was requested via GNAAS. Helimed 58 responded quickly. Numbers were slightly low for a potentially difficult stretcher carry so extra numbers were provided by Duddon and Furness MRT. Unfortunately the cloud base had dropped and when H58 arrived, direct access was not possible to the casualty, and they also had to refuel for a longer tasking . As such the larger capacity Coastguard helicopter R199 agreed to support us and mobilise from Prestwick. In the meantime team members ascended into the mist and were able to assess the casualty. He bravely was able to walk with assistance for a while which saved a period of hazardous stretcher carry for us over very tricky ground. He was then transferred to a stretcher for the remaining distance to Lingmell Col where a suitable landing site below the cloud had been located. A transfer to the helicopter took place and the walker was taken to hospital for further treatment. The teams then descended back to the valley and returned to respective bases to restock the vehicles for the next callout. We wish the walker a swift recovery, and huge thanks once again to the crews of R199 and H58 for their help.

96. Wastwater Screes - Full Callout - 16:10 Thu 6th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police regarding two walkers. They had two dogs but one of them was spooked and refused to move any further on a boulder field. The terrain makes it extremely difficult to make safe progress in this situation so the team were called out. The well established process of a team on foot, a boat team to ‘pick off’ and a receiving team on the opposite side of the lake was implemented. Other than the weather deteriorating there were no problems and the walkers and dogs were transferred to much friendlier ground and carried on their way. The team then returned to base and stood down.

97. Scafell Pike Summit, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:37 Sun 9th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had taken a fall from standing close to the summit of Scafell Pike. She had sustained a head injury and reportedly lost consciousness briefly. Due to the location and nature of the injury, Helimed 08 responded. They arrived quickly and assessed the walker; fortunately she had sustained only minor injuries and was declared fit enough to carry on with her planned descent to Wasdale valley. The team was then stood down and returned to base, having not ascended too far from Brackenclose. We wish the walker well, and thanks to the Helimed 08 crew for their quick response.

98. Wastwater Screes - Alert - 19:30 Thu 13th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police regarding two walkers who were concerned for their safety. The initial coordinates from the police call indicated a location around the Screes lakeshore. A local team member was tasked to investigate but no people requiring help could be found or seen. A short while later, a further call was received saying that other members of the public had helped the couple from their predicament and that MR help was no longer required. The team was then stood down. Our thanks to those that helped and prevented another callout. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

99. Scafell Pike - Alert - 22:33 Thu 13th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who had set off from his accommodation in Eskdale for a walk up Scafell Pike at 9am, but had not returned by 10:30pm. Further information was being gathered and the Team Leader was preparing to initiate a Full Callout for a search when the police reported that he had turned up safe and well at his vehicle. He

had had a very long day out on the fell with a few wrong turns but otherwise OK. With some relief the Team Leader closed the log and turned in for the night.

100. Sty Head - Alert - 18:19 Sat 15th Jul 2023

Our 100th alert for the year from a calling authority was received from Cumbria Police on Saturday evening. A walker was suffering from the cold and wet conditions and was reported to be taking shelter in what sounded very much like the Keswick MR stretcher box at Styhead. As such, the Team Leader contacted his counterpart in Keswick MR and the tasking was transferred to them (see their callout 68 for more details). https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

101. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 20:21 Sat 15th Jul 2023

The joy (or disappointment ) on not having to go out on the fell for the previous alert was short lived; a further call came in for 2 walkers attempting the 3 peaks who had also been caught out unprepared for the difficult conditions. They had taken a wrong turn on the descent and were now wet and cold. They were close to a waterfall. Unfortunately direct contact was not possible due to patchy phone signal on the fell. However, a location was determined from the initial call and as they had been advised to stay put, a limited callout was made to help. The grid reference put them close to the head of Piers Gill, with the waterfall at the top matching the original description. The team set off, but a further call was received stating that they had now met other walkers who were assisting them back down. This was welcome news, and this the team met up with the party more quickly on their descent, and confirmed that they were all safe and well.

102. Hollowstones, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 21:21 Sat 15th Jul 2023

Whist callout 101 was ongoing, a further call was received from Cumbria Police about two walkers who had also become wet and cold and were concerned for their safety. Additional team members were called out, however, the Team Leader was able to walk and talk them down a significant distance with the aid of repeated Phonefind messages. The team located them fairly low down and escorted them back to Brackenclose. The team then returned to base, and after filling up the drying room, restocked the vehicles ready for the next callout. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

103. Wasdale Head - Alert - 01:49 Mon 17th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police. One of their cars was at Wasdale Head when they noticed flashing lights from torches towards the Screes. It was unclear whether they needed assistance as they appeared to be moving. A local team member was asked to support. However, having walked for a while towards the sighting, they were unable to see or find anything else. It was possible there was a connection with another police report elsewhere in the Lake District so this was monitored until the following day, before formally closing down later in the afternoon.

104. Coniston - Alert - 17:06 Thu 20th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police, however it was quickly established that this was not in our area and that the receiving team had all the resources they needed to respond quickly. As such the tasking was transferred across, and the team was stood down.

105. Unknown Location - Alert - 23:11 Thu 20th Jul 2023

A call was received late yesterday evening about a walking party who had become separated, with two of the party now overdue. Happily a short time later, a further call was received to say they had turned up in the valley safe and well, and that help was no longer needed. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

106. Scafell - Limited Callout - 13:56 Sat 22nd Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about two inexperienced walkers who had been separated from their larger walking group. Due to the conditions and because they were not moving they were becoming increasingly cold. A Phonefind location was obtained and the Team Leader gave advice to descend in the correct direction. A small team was called out also to guide down should it be needed, however, before they got boots on the ground at Brackenclose the good news was received that they had been reunited with their group. The team was stood down at this point and returned to base.

107. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 18:06 Sat 22nd Jul 2023

A second call of the day from Cumbria Police, asking for help for two walkers who were struggling to navigate down to Wasdale Head due to the misty conditions. The location from the initial police call put them very close to the edge of Piers Gill, near the ‘bad step’. A short phone call with a bad signal suggested that they were not on, nor could see the path. A wrong turn at this location can be very hazardous, so the walkers were asked to stay put and await the team arriving to escort off. As such, a small hill party was asked to head to their location. However, when they arrived some time later, there was no sign of the walkers. After some time looking, the team retraced their steps and headed back to base, assuming somehow they had either found their own way off or encountered other walkers who had helped. The log was closed after a further discussion with the police. The following

day, once back in mobile signal, the walkers called in to confirm they had indeed managed to find their own way safely off the fell. They hadn’t encountered the team as they expected as the rescue team’s route choice was via Lingmell Nose and Lingmell Col, to avoid potentially risky river crossings due to the heavy rain earlier. PS - a busy night for 3 peakers too as per the photo!

108. Pillar - Alert - 11:04 Tue 25th Jul 2023

A call was received yesterday regarding two walkers who had not returned to their accommodation as planned, following an overnight trip to Pillar the day before. The Team Leader made some enquiries and established that they had stayed at a local youth hostel. A couple of hours later their vehicle had left the accommodation so the log was closed. A good outcome.

109. Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 22:12 Tue 25th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police from a person located in the South of England, who was concerned for two family members due to the lack of contact for over eight hours. They had successfully summited Scafell Pike and were last in contact on their descent at approximately 1:30pm. The police were initially following up by checking for their car, which was at their campsite as expected, but were not able to locate the people and thus asked us for our help. Local team members and Jess, the team’s search dog, were asked to respond as further information about their tent was obtained. This information allowed the team to locate their tent and happily find them inside safe and well. Due to the lack of mobile signal at Wasdale Head all forms of communication from Cumbria had not reached their intended destination, as the walking party thought it had. The team members were able to stand down and return home at this point, whilst the Team Leader relayed the good news to the concerned relative. Another good outcome.

110. Lingmell Col, Scafell Pike - Alert - 16:04 Sat 29th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police. A Mountain Leader had come across a lone walker near Lingmell Col who had hurt her ankle and seemed unable to walk any further. She was part of a larger group who had continued to the summit and were due to return. The ML was concerned enough to alert the police as the walker also did not have shelter or extra layers and so she was also becoming cold. As the team leader was gathering further information and considering deploying the team, the walking group returned. After some discussion the walking party and the casualty decided they would attempt to walk down under their own steam, and only call the team out if absolutely necessary. Two hours later, the party was able to confirm that slow progress had made and that they were nearly back to the car park, so the team was stood down. Thanks to the ML for their help in this situation, and we wish the walker a swift recovery.

111. St Bees Head - Alert - 12:08 Sun 30th Jul 2023

A call was received about a walker on the beach who had sustained a suspected broken ankle. After the location was confirmed it was agreed that by all parties that the responsibility for this rescue was the the Coastguard and so the team was stood down.

112. Sty Head - Alert - 18:27 Sun 30th Jul 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police. A concerned relative had reported 2 walkers that were overdue with a last known location around Sty Head. Due to the location, the Keswick MRT Team Leader was alerted in case there was a need for their support. However, as information was being gathered the good news was received that contact had been made with the walkers, confirming that they were off the fell safe and well, and the teams were able to stand down.

113. Scafell Pike - Alert - 22:07 Sun 30th Jul 2023

In the third alert of the day, a call was received from Cumbria Police about a family who had split up on an ascent of Scafell Pike. They had all set off from Seathwaite together but intentionally split into two groups of two. Due to the lack of phone signal on large areas of the Scafell Massif they had lost contact with other, and somehow ended up in completely different locations. Then in two separate phone calls to the police, they were concerned about each others’ whereabouts! Once two and two was put together by the Team Leader (literally!) they were back in contact and the team stood down. This tale is a good reminder to not rely on mobile phone in this area to keep in contact with each other, as there are large areas where signal is patchy at best and non-existent at worst.

114. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:49 Tue 1st Aug 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had injured his leg and could not continue further. A full callout was made swiftly and the team made their way to the location provided by an accurate Phonefind on Brown Tongue. Once on scene members of the team gave a thorough medical assessment and provided extra warmth from a large bivvy shelter with a few hot and sweaty team members inside. After some food and drink the walker was carefully packaged with a casualty bag and heat blanket on the team stretcher to maintain warmth for the carry down to the valley. Happily once in the valley the he had sufficiently recovered to able to be transported in a family vehicle for his onward journey for a precautionary hospital checkup. We hope the walker has recovered quickly. We’d also like to thank the many people who stopped to help before our arrival in a number of different ways.

115. Beck Head, Great Gable - Limited Callout - 18:31 Tue 1st Aug 2023

As team members were leaving base for home from the previous callout, a further call was received from Cumbria Police. A third party had reported two walkers that had become stuck between Great Gable and Beck Head, with conditions reported as misty with little visibility and raining. A limited callout was made and a small hill party was tasked to locate and escort the walkers back to safe ground. However, when the team arrived at the reported location there was no indication of anyone in need of help. A

short time later, a welcome call was received to confirm the walkers were safe and had reached Black Sail YHA, and so the hill party stood down and returned to base. It’s possible that with improving conditions and visibility, a seemingly precarious and intimidating position became more manageable and enabled a self-rescue. A good outcome.

116. Scafell Pike - Alert - 19:54 Thu 3rd Aug 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who was overdue from a walk up Scafell Pike. Concerned relatives made the call after there was no contact for many hours after a successful ascent. As the Team Leader was considering next steps, including a large search as the last known location was the summit, good news was received that he had made contact and was safe and well. He had walked out via Eskdale, and a very helpful member of the public was giving him a lift out of the valley. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

117. Mickledore, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 14:09 Sat 5th Aug 2023

A call was received yesterday afternoon from Cumbria Police. A walker was reported to have fallen whilst scrambling, injured his knee and was now not able to walk. After some difficulty in being able to make direct contact to ascertain the exact location and circumstances, a full callout was made. Due to slightly low numbers assistance was requested from Duddon and Furness MRT. Members from Bowland and Pennine MRT also happened to be on the hill and nearby so kindly offered their assistance. Once team members were on scene, a full medical assessment was made, and it was decided that due to the mechanism of injury (a tumble fall of 20m), and a long and difficult stretcher carry out to a road head, helicopter assistance was required. Helimed 58 duly responded and was able to land on flat ground near Pulpit Rock. Attempts to get closer were thwarted by gusty winds. As such, an energy sapping uphill carry was still required, with helicopter medics in attendance, after which the walker was flown to hospital for further assessment and treatment. We wish the walker a swift recovery, and massive thanks to all other MR teams that helped. Thanks also to the Helimed team for getting as close as they could in difficult conditions and terrain. Some fantastic multi-team working once again.

118. Scafell Pike - Alert - 20:46 Sat 5th Aug 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker reporting that two of his party were stuck somewhere on a ravine on Scafell Pike. He was initially very confused and was not able to accurately describe his route for the day or where they had become stuck. It became clearer after some time and several police deployments and Team Leader conversations that originally there were four walkers that started out, but after splitting up, one walker was still unaccounted for. The three others were able to be located in two different locations in different valleys. However, the conclusion was that that the missing walker was last seen ascending the Piers Gill path towards the Corridor Route, attempting to get back to Seathwaite in darkness with no means of navigation. Faced with this information, and the inexperience of the walker, preparations began for a search through the night. The Team Leader alerted Keswick MRT, RAF Leeming MRS, Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs and also the Coastguard helicopter for possible deployment. Just as the decision to call the teams out was about to be made, the news was received with some relief that the walker had made it safely down into Borrowdale. Thanks to all the teams that willingly offered their support. There are several things to highlight with this alert: Stick together as a group at all times, unless each sub-group has appropriate skills and equipment. All members of the party should have some awareness of the routes travelled (e.g. the different valleys in the area). Information quality is essential for a quick and effective response. Communications with mobile phone are not reliable on the high fells in Wasdale.

119. Wasdale - Alert - 22:10 Sun 6th Aug 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police, about a lone walker that had failed to return to her accommodation. She had left on foot and taken the shuttle bus down to Wasdale Head at 10am. A local team member was tasked to see if she had missed the last bus and then was walking out of the valley, but nothing was seen. With little other information to start to plan a response, news was gratefully received that the walker had turned up safe and well at her accommodation, and the alert was closed.

120. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 21:20 Wed 9th Aug 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker that was walking from Langdale to Wasdale. He was overdue when a text was received by a family member waiting at Wasdale Head for his return. The text indicated that he was struggling to navigate the descent from Scafell Pike due to fog. After this point further attempts to make contact were unsuccessful. After discussions with the family member, with no further information on location, it was decided to start a search early in the morning. Weather conditions were favourable with pretty benign conditions. In the morning team members started a search on the most likely paths in Wasdale and support was agreed with Duddon and Furness MRT to search the Eskdale paths. However not long into the search the missing person was located on the Brown Tongue path, making his own way down. He was a little jaded from the unplanned night out, but otherwise none the worse for wear. A lift back to base was provided, where he was reunited with his family, after which the team stood down. Thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT for their support once again.

121. Great Gable - Full Callout - 19:24 Sat 12th Aug 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police on Saturday night about a lone walker who had fallen, with head, knee and ankle injuries. He was near the summit and unable to continue. Conditions were very unfavourable with rain, poor visibility and very windy. As he was intending to sleep on the fell overnight he had a sleeping bag which he was asked to get into whilst awaiting help. Due to slightly low numbers, and the potential for a long and difficult stretcher carry, Keswick MRT were asked to help. Once on scene, extra shelter, insulation, and food and drink was provided, alongside a medical assessment and some pain relief. Following this, the walker was able to walk with some assistance part of the way, however, later a stretcher was required. It was decided that the route down to Seathwaite was the better option from Sty Head, so after some help over the tricky ground initially, the teams

went their separate ways and the walker was carried by the Keswick team to an awaiting ambulance for further assessment. Our thanks to Keswick MRT for their help and we wish the walker a swift recovery.

122. Scafell Pike - Alert - 19:49 Sun 13th Aug 2023

A call was received via Cumbria Police; a concerned friend was reporting a party of four walkers overdue from their walk up Scafell Pike after over 11 hours since they had set off. They had started and were intending to finish at Seathwaite. Happily after a short time, contact was received from the walkers and they were confirmed to be safe and well at their campsite after a long day of the fell.

123. Upper Eskdale - Limited Callout - 20:37 Sun 13th Aug 2023

In the second call of the evening, two walkers were seeking assistance having got lost trying to return to Borrowdale after an ascent of Scafell Pike. Mobile signal was very borderline and all attempts of further conversation proved impossible. However, fortunately they were able to give Cumbria Police their ‘Lat/Long’ coordinates that they had obtained from a mobile phone. It was decided to send two small groups in case they were still moving. It was also not known whether they were adequately equipped for the heavy rain forecasted during the night. Unfortunately for us, this location is one of the most remote on our ‘patch’ (and possibly the whole of the Lake District) so this required long walks in by small groups from both Wasdale and Eskdale. Shortly after setting off, the Eskdale team came across another group of misplaced walkers, unfortunately they were not the group they were looking for. They were 3-peakers who were now likely going to miss their goal with a long walk out to the wrong valley. Eventually the Wasdale group found the casualty party of walkers (as it turned out, three!) in roughly the location expected. The walkers were then escorted back to Wasdale and then to base for the subsequent long and expensive taxi journey. Both parties were not adequately equipped in terms of navigation equipment or skills. Misty conditions do make navigation challenging, and especially so, high on the Scafell Massif. Fortunately on this occasion the only consequences were time, effort, discomfort, missed objectives, cost for taxis, and some damaged pride. However, the risks to safety are very real, both in terms of hypothermia (yes, even in August if there is poor weather) and crag fast or fall risk if walkers stray into the wrong areas. Please share to raise awareness, as many walkers we encounter do still underestimate the difficulty of navigating in mist and/or darkness.

124. Wastwater Screes - Alert - 17:03 Fri 18th Aug 2023

We were called yesterday by Cumbria Police about two people in difficulty on the Screes lakeshore. As part of a group of 4, they had originally planned to kayak down the lake from Brackenclose but found themselves unable to progress due to the windy conditions. They decided to abandon their kayak on the Screes side of the lake and planned to walk back to Brackenclose with a third member of their party, whilst one continued on the water. However, without adequate footwear, the boulder fields soon prevented further progress and so they called for help. They were also concerned that the kayaker who had remained on the water had not been seen for some time. The latter information prompted an escalation by Cumbria Police with several other agencies involved for a potentially urgent search of the lake. Thankfully, shortly after their arrival the missing person was located paddling on the water as planned and positively identified. The initial problem was dealt with by some guidance from WMRT team members already in the valley who walked to the "shore party" from Brackenclose. They then gave encouragement and support to progress back to a proper footpath and the Brackenclose car park where their car was parked. The Fire Service helped the lone paddler back to Brackenclose. All teams then stood down and returned to their respective bases. Thank-you to all the agencies who assisted. A good outcome.

125. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 13:08 Sun 20th Aug 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who were reported to be stuck on steep ground inside Piers Gill. A walker on the path on the East side of the gill had noticed them after they were shouting for help. They appeared to be unhurt but this was from a significant distance away. The Team Leader made a swift callout and also contacted Duddon and Furness MRT for additional crag support, knowing this could be a difficult technical rescue in the worst case. Both teams met at Gavel Neese and made their way up to the likely access point. As any rope access into Piers Gill is inherently hazardous, helicopter support was also requested via a Coastguard helicopter with winching capability. Rescue 199 from Prestwick duly attended but unfortunately were not able to effect the rescue via winch due to the weather conditions requiring high power and the resulting significant downdraft creating a real risk to the walkers below. They returned home to their base in Scotland. A rope rescue was therefore needed and the teams rigged a rope system and then descended to the walkers. Once on scene it was quickly realised that the condition of the casualties was more serious than had been thought. The walkers had been stuck in this position for about 24 hours and had suffered injuries from slips and falls. Helicopter support was again requested for a swift evacuation from the scene once the walkers had been evacuated by rope from the gill. Rescue 199 returned and with some tremendous flying were able to land close to the teams for a short transfer. The first casualty was flown down to the valley where other team members made a more thorough assessment. After extraction, R199 then received the second casualty on a stretcher, flew down to the valley, picked up the first casualty, and then flew both to hospital for further assessment and treatment. Team members on the hill then de-rigged and returned to their respective bases to reset the vehicles. We wish both casualties a swift recovery. Thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT and the Rescue 199 crew for their support (twice!) in this callout.

126. Scafell Pike - Alert - 23:44 Sun 20th Aug 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police late in the evening. A concerned third party was reporting that a walking party of four was overdue from a walk up Scafell Pike. They had travelled for a day trip from outside of the area and none of the party had been in touch since noon. They were now not contactable on their mobile phones. The Team Leader initiated Phonefind messages, but shortly afterwards the police made contact again to say that they had been able to speak briefly with one of the party. This suggested that they were off the hill, but having vehicle problems. With this good news the tasking was left to the police to later confirm that there was no need for mountain rescue support.

1. Scafell - Full Callout - 17:48 Wed 23rd Aug 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about a male walker who was reported to have slipped on scree very close to the summit of Scafell. He had injured his hip and could not weight bear. A full callout was made and with slightly low numbers for a long stretcher carry Duddon and Furness MRT were again asked for help. After a long pull up via Green How in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, the casualty site was reached. The walker had actually taken a tumble fall, and alongside the very painful hip injury had suffered multiple minor injuries. A bivvy shelter was established to provide warmth for the casualty, his friend and his dog, as a medical assessment was made. With the arrival of further team members he was made as comfortable as possible in a casualty bag and vacuum mattress, with additional pain relief provided for the stretcher carry. A long and arduous carry then commenced, with no prospect of air support in pretty miserable conditions. Initially this was on steep scree, with slow progress made on wet and unstable ground. Once on the grass a mixture of carrying, sledging and the wheel were used with and without rope protection, according to conditions. After close to four hours, the walker was then handed over to a land ambulance waiting at Brackenclose. He was then transferred to hospital for further assessment and treatment. The respective teams finally returned to bases, overwhelmed their drying rooms and restocked vehicles. We wish the walker well on his recovery and hope to see him back on the fells soon. Huge thanks to Duddon and Furness MRT for their help once again, and also to the passing walker and his son who helped by calling the alert in and providing initial support.

128. Styhead Path, Great Gable - Limited Callout - 14:15 Tue 29th Aug 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about a walker who was reported to have injured her leg and was struggling to walk. The informant had gone to the nearest farm to call for help. As the location was relatively close to road access and low down, a limited callout was made. However, before we could take much action, the farmer kindly went out of their way to drive on their quad bike to meet the walker and then give a lift back to the farm. The other member of the casualty party was then able to transport the walker in their own vehicle onwards for further assessment in hospital. Many thanks to the farmer who helped out. We also would like to wish the walker well in her recovery.

129. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 10:20 Wed 30th Aug 2023

We were called by both North West Ambulance Service and Cumbria Police about a walker with symptoms of a medical emergency. An immediate callout was made and also requests for air support due to the position of the casualty high up on Scafell Pike. Rapid mobilisation to the scene from Coastguard Rescue 199, Helimed 08 and Helimed 63 occurred. However, the condition of the walker worsened whilst help was en-route, and despite all attempts by passing walkers and the helicopter crews in attendance he tragically did not survive. Our thanks go to all agencies involved, and especially to the passing walkers. Our thoughts are with the walker’s family and friends, and all involved at this sad time.

130. Scoat Fell - Alert - 12:55 Sat 2nd Sep 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about a walker on Little Scoat Fell who had fallen ill. The Team Leader quickly liaised with our neighbours at Cockermouth MRT as the access/egress route is a quicker option from their side. They kindly agreed and took care of the callout from that point. Our thanks to them for their support.

131. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:25 Mon 4th Sep 2023

As the team were preparing for training, the first of four calls and three separate incidents in the space of one hour was received from Cumbria Police. We were initially called about a walker who had slipped on the initial descent from Scafell Pike summit. She was unable to bear any weight. Due to the elevation at about 875m a request for Coastguard helicopter support was made, which was responded to by Rescue 912 from Humberside. After a humid walk up to the scene, team casualty carers assessed and treated the ankle, providing splinting and some strong pain relief. The walker was then secured into the stretcher for a carry down to flatter ground at Lingmell Col, where the helicopter was waiting for the transfer. The walker was then flown to hospital for further treatment and the team returned to the vehicles in the valley. We wish the walker well and hope to see her back on the fells soon. Thanks to the crew of Rescue 912 for their help, saving us a long carry to the valley floor.

132. Burnmoor Tarn - Full Callout - 18:47 Mon 4th Sep 2023

In the second incident of the evening, two calls were received within 20 minutes. A personal distress beacon was activated close to Burnmoor Tarn. This was followed 20 minutes later by a call from a concerned family member about an overdue solo walker. The two were linked to the same person - sixth sense from the family member? With no other information to go from, and another incident already ongoing, a team was asked to approach from Eskdale. Our friends at Duddon and Furness were also asked for potential extra support. Fortunately there was a Coastguard helicopter already en-route for the previous callout, so they agreed as a priority to investigate from the air as much as possible. They were able to locate the walker. He had fortunately recovered enough by this time to walk under his own stream back towards Brackenclose. He rang 999 shortly afterwards when mobile signal allowed to confirm that he no longer required help; a very long day on the hill in the hot conditions had resulted in exhaustion with no ability at the time to progress. Other team members at Wasdale walked up a short distance to meet the walker and confirmed he was safe and well, and this incident was closed. A good outcome. Thanks to The Rescue 912 crew and to Duddon and Furness MRT for their support.

133. Scafell Pike - - 19:23 Mon 4th Sep 2023

In the third and last incident of the evening, another lone walker was reported significantly overdue from their accommodation at a local pub. His intended route was known which was very helpful. However shortly after Cumbria Police passed this on to us, it was confirmed that he had returned back to his accommodation safe and well, but exhausted from a long and hot day out. This incident was closed. After a very busy time for the Team Leader and others in control room, the effort re-concentrated on callout #131, high up on Scafell Pike. Once this was successfully concluded there was a final additional tasking for a few members of the team to enable ‘carbohydrate replenishment’ for the returning team

134. Upper Eskdale - Alert - 18:05 Sat 9th Sep 2023

The team was called yesterday by Cumbria Police about one of a group of eight that had not been seen for a number of hours. The group had walked up to the deep pools near Lingcove Bridge to enjoy the warm weather. However, on the group’s return to their cars, one person was missing. Thankfully as the Team Leader was gathering further information and travelling to meet the group, the missing group member arrived safe and well, and the team was stood down.

135. Upper Eskdale - Alert - 19:50 Sun 10th Sep 2023

An alert was swiftly resolved after a call was received from Cumbria Police. A fell runner was overdue, but turned up within 3 minutes of the initial call!

136. Beck Head, Great Gable - Alert - 15:56 Wed 13th Sep 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had fallen, sustained leg injuries and was unable to walk. However, as further information on location was obtained, it was confirmed that the incident was in Cockermouth MRT’s area. The respective Team Leaders agreed the handover before the Wasdale team was stood down. We wish the walker a quick recovery, and thanks to Cockermouth MRT for their quick response.

137. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:04 Thu 21st Sep 2023

After a relatively quiet period, two calls were received from Cumbria Police on Thursday. The first call was about a walker who had fallen and injured his ankle, and appeared to be unable to bear weight on it. The location was close to the summit. The team was called out and made their way up the valley. Due to low numbers, additional help from Duddon and Furness MRT was requested for a potential long stretcher carry. A further call was then received to say that the walker had also hit his head when he fell, but may be able to walk as he had recovered somewhat. This happily turned out to be the case, and the team met up with the walker descending at Hollow Stones. After a medical assessment, the walker then continued all the way to the valley floor. A good outcome for both the walker and the teams.

138. Red Gill, Scafell - Full Callout - 16:38 Thu 21st Sep 2023

As the first callout was nearing completion, a second call was received. Multiple 999 calls had been made about shouts and whistles on the flanks of Scafell, heard by walkers on the tourist path of Scafell Pike. Helimed support was requested and they agreed to mobilise quickly to help establish exact location, and directly support if possible. Unfortunately despite several attempts they were thwarted due to unfavourable winds and they were unable to get close enough to make visual contact with the casualty. The landed in the valley, subsequently standing by for a long time in case advanced medical support was required. Coastguard helicopter support was also agreed and deployed from Prestwick with Rescue 199. With different aircraft capability and technology on board they were able to get a visual and confirm exact location. Unfortunately they were also unable to directly help and provide a winch rescue due to the proximity of the crag face. The Rescue 199 crew then helped hugely by lifting three sets of team members to the closest location possible, from which they walked uphill to Red Gill. On arrival the walker was unfortunately located in the gully itself, very close to a 10m drop. As such, a technical rope rescue was required. The casualty was unable to move by himself, but was able to talk and had managed to wrap a survival blanket around him. As a technical and labour intensive rescue was now likely, additional team members from our friends at Duddon and Furness MRT was again requested. R199 again obliged and lifted four of their team members and additional rope and medical supplies from Devoke Water en-route to Wasdale. Other DFMRT members followed in team vehicles. Once Wasdale team members had secured sufficient rope protection in a difficult environment for firm ‘anchors’, they were able to descend to the casualty and make an assessment. Despite taking two significant tumble falls there fortunately was no evidence of any significant life threatening injuries. It was agreed that the walker would attempt to move himself slowly from the gully with support from the rope system and team members. This was able to be done and once off the more technical ground, a more straightforward descent with support was made to get to a location that was suitable for a helicopter winch. Rescue 199 again returned to the scene, winched the walker and transported to hospital for full assessment and treatment. This left the teams to de-rig and walk back down to the valley and then to respective bases. We would like to offer our huge thanks to all the teams involved, and especially the Rescue 199 crew who did everything they possibly could to speed up the effort to locate, enable access and then transport the walker to a hospital setting. Also to the many members of the public who helped and provided information at the start of the callout. We wish the walker a speedy recovery.

139. Mickledore, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 01:58 Sun 24th Sep 2023

The team received a call from Cumbria Police early on Sunday morning about two walkers who had taken a wrong turn on an ascent of Scafell Pike and were concerned for their safety in poor weather. The mobile signal was patchy but a location was obtained at Mickledore near the stretcher box. Knowing that the stretcher box has directions on the outside and is a source of shelter with insulating materials stored inside, the decision from the Team Leader and the police was to wait until dawn for a reevaluation and possible team deployment. Contact was able to be made at first light. The two walkers had indeed sheltered inside the stretcher box, but there was also a report of a leg injury with one of them. As such a team callout was made and again Duddon and Furness MRT supported with additional fell going members for a potentially long stretcher carry. Once on scene, re-warming with additional clothing and food and drink was provided, alongside a medical assessment and some pain relief. This enabled the walker to mobilise sufficiently to walk off the fell under his own steam after some additional rope protection was provided down Mickledore gully for extra confidence and security. The rest of the walk off proceeded well and the walkers were escorted safely down to the valley. Both teams then returned to Wasdale base for some hot refreshments and pizza. Thanks once more to Duddon and Furness MRT. We also hope the walkers are none the worse for their unplanned night on the fell.

1. Blea Tarn, Eskdale - Full Callout - 14:29 Wed 27th Sep 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a lone walker who was having difficulty navigating and getting back down into the valley. Unfortunately due to patchy signal in the valley it was not possible to talk to the walker. After some time without further contact, and with a storm approaching it was decided to make a team callout to make use of any remaining daylight and avoid potentially hazardous conditions later in the evening. Nothing was found on the fell, but shortly afterwards the walker was confirmed to be at her accommodation having found her way safely into the valley. A good outcome. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

141. Scafell - Alert - 17:25 Fri 29th Sep 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about two walkers who had lost their intended route down to Eskdale and were seeking assistance. Using a combination of Phonefind, text messaging and phone calls the walkers were directed down to Wasdale valley which was the quickest and safest option before the daylight was lost. Once the walkers were confirmed to be back off the fell and at their accommodation the log was closed. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

142. Black Sail Pass - Limited Callout - 07:56 Fri 6th Oct 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had not been in contact for some time. However, the walker was unlikely to be in the Wasdale area and so it was passed with agreement to Cockermouth MRT, with the last known location being in the Ennerdale valley. As the search progressed through the day, we were re-engaged and asked to search from Wasdale Head to Black Sail Pass. Numerous other teams were also asked to search other routes. Happily the walker was found safe and well relatively quickly, and we were all stood down. A good outcome.

143. Upper Eskdale - Alert - 13:21 Sat 7th Oct 2023

Cumbria Police alerted us to a lone walker who was lost having taken a wrong turn in the mist, and was now wet and increasingly cold. He had also then come across another party of three in a similar predicament. The initial coordinates obtained from the call to the police put them in Upper Eskdale. However, as a group they then managed to walk from their location back to the road, from where they took a taxi ride to their intended destination in Wasdale. The Team Leader was monitoring progress and stood down when it was confirmed they were all safely en-route by taxi. This callout also confirms that 2023 is now the busiest year ever for the team. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

144. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 19:36 Sat 7th Oct 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about two walkers who had lost their way on the descent from Scafell Pike. Unfortunately they had mis-navigated and become crag fast on steep ground around Straight Gill above Piers Gill. Once the location was determined an immediate callout was made, knowing the severe hazards of the area. Duddon MRT was also asked to stand by in case furter resource was needed. After a muggy ascent via Lingmell nose and Lingmell Col, the advance team got close enough to hear shouts. They were then fortunately able to make their way carefully to the walkers’ position from below. A rope system was established to secure the walkers and then perform controlled lowers back to safe ground. They group then made their way back to Wasdale valley and the team returned to base to reset the vehicles. Unfortunately many items of crag kit totalling several hundred pounds were sacrificed and left in situ to minimise the risks to team members, similar to another crag callout several weeks ago. Edit: Huge thanks for all the donations- we are very thankful

145. Scafell Pike - Alert - 21:18 Sun 8th Oct 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about two walkers who were overdue from a walk up Scafell Pike. A family member was concerned for their safety. The Team Leader started to gather information and put the team on standby, however, shortly afterwards the good news was received that the walkers had descended safely and were heading home in their car. They hadn’t been able to make contact earlier due to lack of mobile signal. A good and swift outcome.

146. Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:18 Tue 10th Oct 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had fallen and hurt his leg on the descent from Scafell Pike. The other two members of the group were becoming increasingly cold and progress was slow. The Team Leader was able to talk to the group and advised to keep descending if they were able, as this maintains body heat and also reduces the time taken for the team to make contact on the fell. Fortunately they were able to do this and managed to descend from Lingmell Col to below the stream crossing. Team Casualty Carers then met them and made an assessment of the injury, before providing support for the group to make their own way for the rest of the descent to Brackenclose.

147. Ennerdale - Full Callout - 18:38 Tue 10th Oct 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a someone reporting a lone family member who had become somewhat disoriented in the misty conditions at height and was now cold and wet. The caller was concerned for the walker’s safety. As this was reported by a third party no location details were obtained other than a visual description of a lake and trees beneath her and her intended route of the Wasdale circuit. As the team was already in the valley attending the callout received 20 minutes earlier some team members were diverted to locate the walker’s car, as a starting point; this was found at Wasdale Head. A

number of locations were still possible, including Ennerdale, so Cockermouth MRT was asked to send a team in that direction. As other routes were being considered, the good news came through that the walker had been found safe and well in Ennerdale. The walker was then transferred back to our base near Gosforth by Cockermouth MRT and then by ourselves onwards back to her car. Thanks to Cockermouth MRT for their help in resolving this callout quickly.

148. Broad Crag Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 12:13 Tue 17th Oct 2023

A call was received from Cumbria Police about a walker who had sustained a knee injury on Broad Crag. He was unable to bear any weight. A team member happened to be close by on Scafell Pike and redirected to the reported location. Once on scene he made an assessment and confirmed that he was not able to mobilise at all. Due to the elevation and specific location requiring a tricky carry down the scree from Broad Crag Col, helicopter support was requested. A full team callout was made and also extra support from Duddon and Furness MRT obtained. Unfortunately the weather conditions were not favourable to enable Rescue 199 to land despite a number of attempts and they returned to their base in Scotland. This left the two teams to make their way to the scene and assess, treat and package the walker into the team stretcher. Once the difficult descent from Broad Crag Col to Lingmell Col was negotiated, a routine carry was undertaken back down to Brackenclose. The teams then returned to their respective bases. Thanks to the helicopter crew and to Duddon and Furness for their support once again. We wish the walker well and a quick recovery.

149. Hollowstones, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 11:40 Sat 21st Oct 2023

An urgent call was received yesterday from Cumbria Police about a walker who had chest pain and was having difficulty breathing. A heart attack was suspected by the caller. As some members of the team were training in base an advance party was able to be immediately dispatched. Helimed 58 also responded immediately, and were reported to be lifting off within four minutes of the call. The cloud base was fortunately just high enough, and the helicopter crew were able to access a flat area to land above Hollow Stones, leaving only about 200m to walk to the casualty. They assessed and treated him, however, unfortunately his condition still required a stretcher carry to the helicopter. As such, an urgent ascent was still required from Brackenclose by the team. Once they were on scene the walker was carefully transferred to the MR stretcher and the carry was made to the helicopter. He was then flown to hospital to continue his treatment. We wish him all the best for a speedy recovery. Our thanks to to members of the public who helped, and in particular to the A&E nurse who took control of the scene before the helicopter arrived.

150. Hollowstones, Scafell Pike - Limited Callout - 13:40 Sat 21st Oct 2023

As some members of the team were arriving close to the scene of callout #149, they witnessed a walker stumble, fall awkwardly, and hit his head on a rock. As there were enough members with the stretcher party by this point some team members diverted to assist. After assessment, some simple analgesia was given and a dressing was applied with some help also from passing and available Helimed crew. Happily the walker was then able to safely walk down to the valley escorted by team members and the rest of his walking group, before onward travel in their own vehicle. We wish the walker a quick recovery, in what was possibly our quickest ever response to an incident!

151. Eden Valley - Limited Callout - 06:00 Wed 25th Oct 2023

Penrith MRT requested additional support from the team for a multi-agency and multi-day search for a man who had fallen from a bridge into the River Eden. Soon after completing the search of our allocated area it was confirmed that the body of the man had been recovered by the police. Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends.

152. Esk Pike - Alert - 16:45 Wed 1st Nov 2023

We were called by Cumbria Police about a group of three walkers who were benighted in the far reaches of our area. As the party were intending to descend to Langdale and also as Langdale Ambleside MRT have the quicker journey to this destination from their side the job was passed to them with agreement and our thanks. They successfully found the walkers and escorted them back to safety in harsh weather conditions. https://www.adventuresmart.uk/ #BeAdventureSmart and make a good day better. Ask yourself three questions before you set off: 1. Do I have the right GEAR ? 2. Do I know what the WEATHER will be like? 3. Am I confident that I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?

153. Piers Gill, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 14:02 Thu 2nd Nov 2023

The team was called by Cumbria Police about a lone walker who had been separated from her walking group, taken a wrong turn on Lingmell Col, and was concerned for her safety having come down the Piers Gill path. The mobile signal was poor but fortunately the police call handler was able to eventually establish an exact location. A callout was made as a ‘talk off’ from that location with significant hazards is too risky. However, as one team party was preparing to depart from Burnthwaite Farm, the walker appeared before them safe and well. After reuniting her with her walking group at Brackenclose the team returned to base.

154. Brown Tongue, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 17:16 Sat 4th Nov 2023

In the first of three calls in quick succession, we received a call about a walker who had fallen, sustained a knee injury and was unable to bear weight. A full callout was made with an advance party setting off quickly with warm clothing and shelter. After assessment, it was mutually decided to attempt a slow walk with team members encouraging and supporting closely. Fortunately the walker was able to complete the descent himself to Brackenclose, from where he was given a lift to his car at Wasdale Head. We wish him well for a swift recovery.

1. Broad Crag Col, Scafell Pike - Full Callout - 18:00 Sat 4th Nov 2023

A second call was received from the police, this time about two walkers who were lost in the mist. They were both cold and felt unable to move, with any spare clothing already wet. A location was obtained from the call made to the police. As the team was already mobilised, some of the team members diverted to this higher location, leaving enough team members for a stretcher carry for the first callout should it be needed. On reaching the pair, the team assessed and then escorted them back down to the Wasdale Head Inn, from where family members picked them up.

56. Great End - Full Callout - 20:12 Sat 4th Nov 2023

In the third request for our help on Saturday evening, a call was received from Cumbria Police. Walkers who were wild camping in Upper Eskdale had heard shouts for help indicating that someone was lost. Unfortunately the mobile signal was very poor and the informant was not able to be called back for further information, despite many attempts. With a vast area to search and no indication of location it was agreed with the police to review and attempt to contact the informant again in the morning. At 08:45 the following morning, the police received another call saying that different walkers had heard shouts for help from a gully between Great End and Broad Crag. The team was called out quickly, now that a good location was apparent. However, an hour later the informant phoned again to update - he and his son had investigated and managed to find the lost group who were actually a party of three, plus dog. They were all cold but otherwise fit and well. The party was guided back down to the Corridor Route, where team members met up with them. After a quick assessment they then all made their way safely back to the valley floor. Huge thanks to Phil Hartley and his son Jack for helping the group and doing most of the rescue! Jack was the first person to hear the shouts in the morning.

157. Beck Head, Great Gable - Full Callout - 14:19 Sun 5th Nov 2023

As incident No.156 was concluding, a further call was received from Cumbria Police regarding a male walker who had fallen and injured his ankle. He was unable to weight bear. As the access to Beck Head is quicker and safer for a stretcher carry from the other side, the Team Leader asked for help from Cockermouth MRT. They were kindly able to help and so the tasking was transferred across. They subsequently successfully completed the rescue via stretcher to Honister. Many thanks to them for their help on what was a very busy weekend for WMRT.

158. Seatallan - Alert - 14:48 Tue 7th Nov 2023

A call from Cumbria Police was passed across from Cockermouth MRT as on investigation it was likely to be in our area. A walker had heard shouts, whistles and dogs barking. The Team Leader asked a team member to further investigate whether it could be people and trail hounds on the fell. This was confirmed to be very likely the case when they were met coming off the fell at Nether Beck, and the log closed. A false alarm with good intent.

Callout and Training Attendance

The following two tables are taken from the Attendance Excel file on the base operator’s PC. Please note that all figures are from January 1st to November 23rd, 2023.

Rescue attendance 2023

Training attendance 2023

Rescue attendance 2022

Training attendance 2022

Rescue attendance 2021

Training attendance 2021

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Trustees, report and financlal statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 Charity number: 1170178 robinson+co Chartered Accountants Gosforth

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Contents Legal and administrative information Trustees, report Independent examiners, report Statement of financial activities Balance sheet Cash flow statement Notes trj the financS3l ststements 8-14

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Legal and administrative Informatlon Charlty number 1170178 Business address Wa5dale Mountsirt Rescue Gosforth Seascale CA20 IBS Trustees J R Bamforth P KiTbv PJ Hall IHryb l J Davidson M Smith C Cripp5 J Noake M A Harrison Accountants roblnson+co Theold Forge Beck Placè Gosforth Seascale CA20 IAT Bankers HSBC 83nk PIC 3 Pow Street Workington CA14 3AH PaÈe I

Wa5dale Mountain Rescue Team Report of the trustees for the year ended 30 September 2023 The trustees present theiw report and the financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023. The trustees who seThed during the year and up to the date of thi5 report are set out on page l. Structurei govemance and management Governing document W35dale Mountain Rescue Team was re8iStere(l as a Charttable Incorporated Organisation ICIOI, registered charity number 1170178, on 15 November 2016. The assets, liabilities and undertakings of the unincorporatèd charitv Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (Charity number 10201361 were transterred to the CIO on 30 September 2017. with the CIO then becoming operational from l Ortober 2017. Trustees The aim is to maintain a trustee board with a range of skills which wll be useful to the organisation. New trustees ale taken through an induction procedure. Key mt7nt7gement personnel remunemtion The Trustees consider the Committee as comprising the key managemeni personnel of the charity In charge of directing and controlling the charity and running and operating the Charity on 3 day to day basis. All trustees give of their time free￿ and no trustee remuneratlon was paid in theyear. Objectives and actlvltles The charitable object5 are= To save life and alleviate distress primarily in upland or mountalnous areas. Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team provide5 3 search and rescue seTrice on the mountains and off road locations in the Wasdale and Eskdale valleys of West Curnbria and surrounding area5. The Team typically handles over 100 calls for as51Stance a year. Further informatlon can be found at www.wmrt.org.uk. Publ1¢ benefit The trustees have referred to the guidance contsined in the Charity Commission's general Buidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's a1rn5 and objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. Achievements and performance Achievements and performance are detailed in thè Amnual Report as presented at the Annual General Meeting. Flnanclal review At the balance sheet date the CIO held £1.265.646 on unrestricted funds12022.' £1,267,697) and £nil on restilcted funds12022.- £nill. a satisfartory position. A detailed review is provided in the Treasurer's Report within the Annual report a5 presented at the Annual General meetin8. Risk Mt7no9ement The trustees have assessed the major strategic. business and operational risks to whith the CIO 15 exposed. They are Satisfied thai systems are in place to mitigate the exposure to these risks. Page 2

Wa5dale Mountain Rescue Team Report of the trustees forthe year ended 30 September 2023 Plans for future perlods One of the team's ongoing challenges is recwitment of new members and considerable effort is bein8 diretted in this area. Statement of trustees. responsibilities The trustee5 are responsible for preparing the Tru5tees' Annual Report and the financial statements In accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards Iuntied Kingdom Generally A¢￿pted Accounting Practice). Law appllcable io charities in England and Wales requires the irustees to prepare finanrial statements for each flnancial year whlch give a true and fair view of charity and of ihe incoming resources and applbcation of resources of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements the trustees are required to- select suitable accounting poliaes and then applythem consistently- observe the methods and principles in the Charitie5 SORP. make jud8emertts and estimates that are reasonable and prndent- State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements- and prepare the financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitv will continue in operation. The trustees are responssble for keepin8 proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable 3ccuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for 5afe8uardin8 the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the preventlon and detection of fraud and other irregularities. On behalf of the board J R 8amforth Trustee 15 tcjg Page J

Was&le Mountskn PAscue Ten Independffirt examlnees rwt to.the tru#ées on the Unl￿ f1ftand￿ statem￿t5.of W•sdale Mountaln Resaw T￿ I repL¥ton thèEcounts ofW•lth MwAtwn Rewje Ten tortrywr ended ￿ ￿PteMb￿ 2023 set out gn pays 5 toi A5 the tharlty's trustee5 are for the preparatlon of the •t£￿ts. you conslder that the iudtt r0qu1re￿￿nt of sectlon 144 of the Charltle5 A¢t 2011 (the Chaitleg &)e5 not appl¥ and that an Independent MIna￿D￿ ts needed. It15 my ￿$P￿￿b￿ty1Q tKamlne th• a¢¢ounts sèctlon 145 ofthe Chames Act; tofDMow the proceduTe5 laid In the Genernl DkectbTh I1¥￿ by the Chirlry Commtsslon undw sectlon 145ISXbl of the CharlUe5.Act: and to state whether pwtlcular matters hMwm•to myatt¢ntlo 8as15.of Indepndent examhes5t•tsmenl My exarnlnatlon was carrkd out accordarKe wllh the Gewal LXre¢tltyts Charfty Cornm154m An mlmtlon indudes a revlew. of the accounihw records kept ty the thority and a compartson of the aG¢ounts prestnted wlth those Tec¢iYd&.It also Indudes con51dErnttort of any unuwal Items or dlsdosures In the ac£ounts. Hnd Seek1￿ exp￿7n￿Crts frcm ywas tru5tee5 COn￿rnIng any5uth mattern The proc&ies undertsken do not prtrdide aN the ￿dence that would be requlred In ￿ auat and am%e(pbÈndy no oplftkn Is glven as to wthether thÈ accounts present a and fairwievl and the rep(l ts UThted iothose matters setout th thematemwt below. Independent examlnefs statement In connecllonwith my eyarrthatlon, no m•ttv has u¥meto rfrfatterth. whkh glve5rne wsonable cau5Eto beUe¥ethat In ary mlterkl Tewtthe requlTrments'. t.o keep proper ¥coUn￿n8 rtcords lAK¢orda￿eyrtth sectlon 130 of thethaiklesAct; and to wepar• accounts T•thlch xcord wlth the ¥taunt¥ re¢ords and to Comp￿ wlth ,the requtrements of the Chjrtties £t hwe not been mel" Vll to whlch. h my oplnkn, attent1(￿ str￿Uld be dram kn oth to en•ble a proper urtdwstarths of thq accounts to beroathed. Jawn Splr•s FCA DClk4 Ir￿ep￿ent examlner rObIrw￿co Charter4d A(￿U￿￿nts The Old Forge Bttk Place Gosforth, Sea5cale CA20 IAT 11 J4 22Y.

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Statement of financlal actlvltles For the year ended 30 September 2023 Unrestricted funds 2023 Total 2022 Total Notes Income Voluntary income Incoming resources from charitable activities Income from oiher tradin8 artivities.. Activities for 8enerating funds Investment income 110.804 110,804 98.133 3.744 5,321 3.744 5.321 423 1,526 Total income 119,869 119,869 ICX),082 Expenditure Charitable activities 121,920 121.920 108,281 Totsl expenditure 121,920 121,920 108.281 Net Incomel{expenditure) for the year 12.0511 12,0511 18,1991 Total funds brought forward 1,267,697 1,267,697 1,275.896 Total funds carrled forward 1,265,646 1,265,646 1.267,697 The statement of financial actlviiles includes all gains and losses in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities. The note5 on pages 8 to 14 forni an Integrnl part ofthese finandal statements. Page S

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Balance sheet as at 30 September 2023 2023 2022 Notes Flxed assets Tangible asset5 811,247 765,700 Current assets Debtor5 Cash at bank and in hand io 40,037 422.1)49 14.201 490,529 462,086 504.730 Creditors: ameunts falling due within one year li 17.6871 12,7331 Net current assets 454.399 501,997 Net assets 1,265.646 1,267,697 Funds Unrestricted income funds 12 1,265,646 1,267,697 Total funds 1,265,646 1.267,697 The financial statements were approved by the tnjstees on 14 202t￿ and signed on its behalf by J R Bamforth Trustee The note5 on pages 8 to 14 form an integral part of these financSal 5tatement> Page 6

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Cash flow statement for the year ended 30 September 2023 2023 2022 Notes Net cash provided byl{used In) operating activities 14 12,9021 3,365 Cash flows from Investing 3rtivities Interest and dividends Purchase of tangible fixed assets 5,321 170,8991 1,526 114.5931 Net tash (used In)Iprovlded by investing artlvltles 165.5781 113,0671 Change in cash and cash equivalents In the year 168,4801 19,7021 Cash and tash equlvalents brought forward 490,529 500,231 Cash and cash equNalents carried forward 422,049 490.529 The notes on pages 8 to 14 fom) an inte8ral part of these finandal ststements. Page 7

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Note5 to financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 Accountlng policies The principal accounting polrcles are summarised below. The accounting polities have been applied con51Stentlv throughout the yèar and the preceding year. 1.1. Basis of accounting The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention wtth items recognised at Cost or Iransaction value unless otherwt5e Stated in the rele¥ant notelsl to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in aCCOfdance with the Statement of Recommended Practice Accounting and Reporting bv Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 issued on 16 July 2014 and the Financial Reporting siandard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 and the Charitses Act 2011. The charity constltutes a publlc benefit entity as defined by FPS 102. The trustees consider that there are currentty no material un￿rtaIntleS about the charity's ability to continue a5 a goin8 concern. Income All income is included In the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable atturacy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income: Voluntary income k5 re￿1Ve￿ by way of grants, donations and gifts and is includeil in full in the statement of financial activities when recèivable. Grants where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are iecognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. Donatèd services and facilities are included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified. The value of Services provided by volunteers ha5 not been included. Gifts donated for resale are included as income within activitie5 forgenerating funds when they are sold. Income from investments Is Included in the year in which Ft is receiwdble. Legacies are included when the charity is advised by the personal iepresèntative of an estate that payment will be made or property tfansferred and the amount involved can be quantified. 1.3. Tangible fixed assets and depreciation Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depfeciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expetted useful life, a5 follow5.. Land and buildings Fixtures. fitlinBs and equiprnent Motor vehicles Not depreaated IO% straight line IO% straight line Land and building5 are malntained to a high 5tsndard and have a high residual value and as 5u¢h are not depreciated. The tn15tees have carrfed ovt an impairment review and are satlsfied that there is no impairment to these assets. Palè 8

Wasdale Mountaln Rescue Team Notes to financlal Statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 Donations and legacles Unrestrlcttd funds 2023 Total 2022 Total Donations Le8acies 93,304 17.500 93,304 17,500 97,633 500 110,804 110.804 98,133 In 2022 all of the income from dofiations and legacies was attributable to unrestrlcted income funds. Artivities for generating funds Unrestricted furtds 2023 Total 2022 Total Fundraising events 3.744 3,744 423 3.744 3,744 423 In 2022 all of the income from activities for generating funds was attributable to unrestricted income funds. Investment incorne Unrestrkted nd5 2023 Total 2022 Total Bank interest receivable 5.321 5.321 1,526 5,321 S,321 1.526 In 2022 all of the investment income was attributable to unrestricted income funds. Costs of charitable activltles- by fvnd type Unrestrlcted fund5 2023 Total 2022 Total Mountain Rescue 121.920 121,920 108.281 121.920 121,920 108.281 In 2022 all of the costs of the charitable activities were attributable to unre5trirted funds. Page 9

Wasdale Mountaln Rescue Team Notes to financial statement5 for the year ended 30 September 2023 Costs of charltable artlvities- by activlty Artlvltles undertaken dlredly Support tosts 2023 Total 2022 Total Mountain Rescue 121,878 42 121,920 108,281 121,878 42 121,920 108,281 Analysls of sUPPOrt cost5 Mountain Rescue 2023 Total 2022 Total Legal and professional fees 42 42 42 42 Employees No salarie5 or wages have been paid to employees. including the trustees. during the year. Page 10

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Notes to financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 Land and Flxtures. buildings ffttlngs and freehold equlpmènt Tanglble flxed a55ets Motor ¥ehl¢les Total Cost At i October 2022 Additions 676,170 321,825 22,523 107.171 1,105,166 48.376 70,899 At 30 September 2023 676,170 344,348 155,547 1,176,065 Depreclation At l O£ttsber 2022 Charge for the year 237,832 17,911 101.634 7.441 339,466 25,352 At 30 September 2023 255.743 109,075 364.818 Net book values At 30 September 2023 676.170 88,605 46.472 811,247 At 30 September 2022 676,170 83.993 5,537 765.700 io. Debtors 2023 2022 Other debtors 40,037 14,201 ii. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 2023 2022 Trade creditors 7.687 2,733 Page 11

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Notes to financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 12. Analysls of net assets between funds Unrestrlcted funds Total funds Fund balances at 30 September 2023 as represented by- Tangible fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities 811.247 462,086 17.6871 811.247 462.086 17.6871 1,265,646 1,265,646 UnrestrKterl nds Total funds Fund balan￿$ at 30 September 2022 as represented by: Tangible fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities 765,700 $04,730 12.7331 765,700 504.730 12,7331 1,267.697 1,267,697 Page 12

Wasdale Mountaln Rescue Team Notes to financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 13. Analysls of movements In unrestricted funds At l October Incoming Out80inÉ 2022 resources resources Transfers At 30 September 2023 General reserve Vehicle reserve Contingencies reserve 1.141.841 105.856 20.C(K) 119,869 {121,9201 17.2561 7.256 1,132.534 113,112 20,000 1.267.697 119,869 1121,9201 1,265,646 Analysls of movements In unrestrlcted fvnds- previous year At l Ociober Incomin8 Outloin 2021 resources resources At 30 September 2022 Transfers General reserve Vehicle reserve ContingencKes reserve 1.150,040 105,856 20.( l(Q.082 1108,2811 1,141,841 105,856 20.000 1,275,896 100.082 1108,2811 1,267,697 Purpose5 of unrestrlcted funds The ehartty's unrestricted funds Can be used wlth the approval of the board of trustees to fund any expenditure which f811s wtthin the charity's. The level of the general reserve should be at least the equivelant of two years annual income, the trustees are satified this ha5 been met. The trustees have designated £113.112 as a vehÈcle reserve. in order to provlde ready cash for the repla￿MeTrt of the vehicles and boat when required. The reserve 15 maintained based on a conservative estimate of 15% of the replacement cost of ea¢h ¥ehide multiplied by the number of years service it has done, up to the full replacement C05t. The trustees have designated £20.0￿ as a contin8enties reserve. in order to make provision for catastrophic mechanical failure of a vehicle estimated at £15,1￿￿& and for a catastrophic communications failure at £5.QX)o. Page 13

Wasdale Mountaln Rescue Team Notes to financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2023 14. Gr055 cash flows 2023 1022 Net movements in funds Deduct interest and dividend income shown in investing adi¥itiÈs Add back depreciation and proffitlloss on disposal Ilnereaselldecrease in 5tock5 Ilncreaselldecrease in debtors Increa5elldecreasel in creditors 12,0511 15,3211 25,352 18,1991 11.5261 22,796 280 110,0711 85 125.8361 4.954 12.9021 3,365 15. Analysis of changes In net funds Openlng balan¢e Cash Closin8 balance Cash at bank and in hand 490,529 168.4801 422,049 Net funds 490.529 168,4801 422,049 Page 14

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team The following page5 do not form part of the statutory accounts.

Wasdale Mountaln Rescue Team Detailed statement of financial activities For the year ended 30 September 2023 2023 2022 Income Income from generatlng funds: Voluntory income Donations Legacies 93.304 17,5Th) 97,633 500 110.804 98,133 Artivitiesfor generotingfunds Fundraising events 3,744 423 3,744 423 Investment income Bank interest re￿1vable 5.321 1,526 5,321 1.526 Total income from 8eneratlnz funds 119.869 IC¢J.082 Totsl intome 119.869 100.082 Page lfj

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team Detailed statement of flnancial artlvitles For the year ended 30 September 2023 2023 2022 Charitable activities Mountsln Rescue Activities undertaken dirertty Trasning costs Rates Electricity Maintenance Equipment Insurance Sundry headquarter expense5 10.813 1.602 4,205 7.191 32.286 3.659 7,877 1,684 1,545 767 19,469 3,618 5,942 F I I Vehicle running expense5 Officer5, expenses Marine insurance Telephone Printing and stationery Depreciation Sundry Boot allowance Clothin8 allowance Donations Other costs 2,362 1.260 826 2,S70 555 22.796 5,679 334 5.998 25,L 918 664 2.8C(I 298 25,352 4.651 1,375 13.568 121,878 108,281 5upportcosts Legal fees 42 42 Mountaln Rescue total expenditure 121.920 108,281 Total charitable actlvlty expendlture 121,920 108,281 Net incomellexpenditure) for the year 12,0511 18.1991 Page 17