Rescuers stretcher the injured walker from the fell. Photo: Keswick MRT
A mountain rescue team was delayed by a locked gate when it was called out to rescue a Lake District walker.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted at 3.50pm on Sunday after a 64-year-old woman slipped and injured her ankle badly.
The woman was with an organised group in Coledale, near Braithwaite.
A team spokesperson said: “The team set off to Braithwaite with two vehicles full of personnel, but was then confronted by a locked gate, where the padlock had been changed by the landowner.
“This meant that the team was faced with a 3.5km hike with all the kit, rather than a 10-minute drive to be within 200m of the casualty site.
“While a search for a suitable key was put in place, control checked on the availability of the air ambulance, given that it would be some time before the team could be on scene, and Cockermouth MRT was asked to send some extra team members in case the patient had to be carried out.
“After some delay, a key was located, and the team vehicles and an ambulance were able to access the site. The other assets were then able to stand down.”
The injured walker’s leg was splinted at the scene and she was stretchered off the fell. The ambulance then took her to the Cumberland Infirmary for further treatment.
The spokesperson said: “Our thanks to Cockermouth MRT for a swift response to our request for assistance.”
The 2½-hour rescue involved 13 volunteers from Keswick MRT.
madcarew
16 May 2017Mmmm......suggest one pair of large bolt croppers is added to vehicle inventory?
KMRT
16 May 2017Just for info: Keswick MRT do carry Bolt cutters and saws etc for such eventualities, and have resorted to this method many times before. But this gate and padlock was well fortified. With the padlock being encased with a metal surround for extra security, so we couldn't access it with our tools. This particular track is never normally a problem, we accessed it very recently on another rescue. But since then the lock has been changed!
A Piglit
17 May 2017Get off my land
Pete from the walking group involved on the day.
17 May 2017Do landowners normally have an arrangement with the mountain rescue teams to provide spare keys ?
madcarew
17 May 2017Interesting; I guess MRT have no statutory powers of forced entry to save life? FRS would probably soon sort out gates with their kit, and have statutory powers. FRS rescue tenders are generally very much on road. Gear would have to be ferried into position.....maybe quicker to find the key. Probably regular risk visits by MRT to check key fits lock is the answer, but of course places additional burden on volunteer rescue service, and requires co-operation of landowner.
Beth Roberts
17 May 2017Bit of a difficult one this. The landowner has every right to secure their land, especially if there is livestock on said land. With the increase in livestock thefts and the ever present risk of travellers setting up camp, its no wonder landowners are beefing up their security.
A Pleb
19 May 2017But mainly they just want to keep the plebs out... at least in Scotland that's increasingly the way!