The cyclist camped near Boredale Hause. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
A mountain biker had to be helped to safety from a Lake District fell as Storm Francis swept the area.
The 41-year-old Birmingham man set up camp overnight near Boredale Hause after suffering severe cramps.
Police contacted Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team at 6.25am on Tuesday when the cyclist called for help, concerned about the high winds and driving rain that were buffeting him.
A team spokesperson said: “After some reassurance from one of the team deputy leaders the man agreed to walk him and his bike off the fell and that the team would be watching him via modern telephone technology from the base in Patterdale.
“He was met off the fell by the deputy team leader and taken to his pre booked B&B.”
The previous day, the Patterdale team was contacted by ambulance staff with a request to help a 79-year-old man who slipped and suffered a suspected broken ankle while walking with friends near Brown Hills, close to Watermillock Common.
The spokesperson said: “The team initiated a pincer-type movement accessing the stricken pensioner from Dowthwaitehead and also from the wall line above Brunt Crag close to Aira Force.
“Once at scene the gentlemen was treated for his injuries by one of the team doctors and packaged into a stretcher then carried to Dowthwaitehead for onward transportation in a team vehicle to Dockray for a rendezvous with a county ambulance.”
The five-hour rescue involved 16 Patterdale MRT volunteers.
Local
25 August 2020Why do tourist coming to our area not take notice of the weather in advance, this is not Birmingham, cycling on roads or man made track, these are the Lakes and Mountains, the weather changes quickly.
Introduce an insurance and charge for the services of the Mountain Rescue Teams
Another local (Portinscale)
25 August 2020#local. Absolutely right.
Things are getting really out of control and I think the time is fast approaching for the rescue teams to re-consider if their service can continue to operate free of charge with the sort of visitors places like this are attracting these days.
Peter
25 August 2020He set up camp - he had a tent with him? But he had pre-booked B&B also?
Pete
26 August 2020Multiday trip, mix of accommodation? Bivi bag for emergencies (such as cramp)? There are questions that occur to me (not least what he expected the MRT to do other than hold his hand on the short descent from Boredale Hause into the valley), but his choice of accommodation isn't one of them.
Tim
27 August 2020Be careful what you wish for. . 'your' area may really suffer if you only have UK residents are the only visitors in future. It simply is not your area.. ..
Tim again
27 August 2020Let's hope the emergency services never have to help any of you in 'my' area... Perish the thought!
Sheepy
27 August 2020Tim, all UK taxpayers pay tax to provide the Emergency Services.
Mountain Rescue are not a taxpayer funded emergency service. They are volunteers. they offer their time and risk their lives for free. Their equipment is funded by donations. They are all local to the areas they live in and give up a lot of time to provide a brilliant service.
The problem is they are taken for granted by morons who take no personal responsibility for the stupidity of their own actions or lack of preparation.
Last Saturday I was listening to Radio 2 when someone had asked for a "shout out." They were on their way to the Lakes to "climb a mountain." The weather was foul even at valley level and any experienced person would save that mountain for another day and not set off in the first place. They may well have changed their mind when they arrived but there are many who just carry on regardless in their jeans and trainers and end up calling on MR to come and save them.
I have no problem with visitors if they behave responsibly and respect the area they are visiting. Unfortunately a lot of the behaviour I have seen since lockdown has been awful. We might not own the Lakes but we are its guardians for the other 50 weeks of the year when the idiots aren't here. It is also my Council Tax that pays for the local authority to clean up the mess that is left. Perhaps some of those visitors would be fine if I drove to their area raced around on their street, blocked their driveway, had a dump in their garden and emptied my bin in it as well?