Place Fell and the Ullswater shore. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
A Lake District rescue team was called out four times in three days to aid three walkers and a mountain biker in separate incidents.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team’s first call was on Saturday afternoon when a woman injured her ankle on the Ullswater shore path.
The walker was unable to continue after the incident, which happened while she was walking with friends between Silver Point and Side Farm.
Team members were called out at 1.35pm and splinted the woman’s ankle before stretchering her to the team’s Land Rover ambulance. She was then driven to the Patterdale MRT base from where an ambulance took her to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for further treatment.
As the rescue was concluding, the team was alerted to an elderly walker who was experiencing stomach pains while with a friend near Place Fell.
Rescuers requested the help of the Great North Air Ambulance which landed at the scene and, after the woman was assessed, airlifted her to hospital.
The following day police requested the volunteers’ help after a mountain biker got into difficulties in wet and cold weather on the slopes of Helvellyn.
Two passing GPs came across the 28-year-old on the zigzag path above Keppel Cove dam. The man was exhausted, suffering from severe cramp and beginning to become hypothermic.
The doctors gave the biker food and drink and used their spare clothing to help keep him warm until help arrived.
A team spokesperson said: “The team assessed the casualty and stretchered him off the fell to the waiting Land Rover ambulance.
“Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team would like to thank the two passing doctors for their assistance with this rescue.”
Nine team volunteers were involved in the two-hour rescue.
On Monday, the Patterdale team was called to help a 67-year-old woman who slipped while walking and injured her ankle near Oxford Crag, overlooking the village.
Rescuers were alerted about 4.20pm. The spokesperson said: “Fortunately for the lady there were a couple of team members at Patterdale mountain rescue base and they were able to go to the aid of the casualty in quick time.
“The lady’s injury was splinted by the team and she was then stretchered off the fell for onward transport to hospital.”
The 1½-hour rescue involved seven of the Patterdale volunteers.
