Nine hour rescue by 40 mountain rescue team members

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were called out by Cumbria Police on Sunday night around 9.00 p.m. to search for a pair of walkers who were lost on descent from Scafell Pike. They were very cold and wet and were unable to give the team much information to narrow down the search area. With the assistance of Duddon and Furness and Keswick
teams and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs, the whole of the Scafell massif was searched.

At around 2.00 a.m. this morning, in challenging and very wet conditions, the pair were found near Calfcove Gill, under Ill Crag. Their location was probably the furthest point from a roadhead within the team’s operational area. After being warmed and given dry clothing the casualties were evacuated by a Sea King from
RAF Boulmer that was attending to assist the search. It should be noted that the RAF pushed themselves to the limits in very poor weather conditions in order to
evacuate the lost walkers off the mountain and back to safety.

Approximately 40 MRT members were involved in team membersrescue that took around nine hours. It was the team’s second all night rescue in four nights. Both of these
rescues were avoidable with propers preparation and planning and taking map, compass torches and knowing who to use.