Team members stretcher the injured walker from the Watendlath path. Photo: Keswick MRT
A walker was stretchered from a Lake District fell after an encounter with a group of playful dogs.
The 58-year-old woman slipped on wet rock after being bumped into by the animals on a beckside path below Watendlath on Monday.
She injured her hip in the incident, and was unable to continue. Her husband had to walk to Watendlath to get a mobile signal from where he was able to call for mountain rescue help.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was alerted about 11.50am.
A team spokesperson said: “Two vehicles left base and made their way towards Watendlath. As the exact casualty location was not known teams approached from below and above, quickly locating the casualty approximately 500m below Watendlath.
“Analgesia was given to relieve pain before stretchering the female across the river to a team vehicle. The casualty was then taken to Keswick Cottage Hospital to rendezvous with an ambulance that would take her to Carlisle infirmary for an x-ray.”
The incident involved 11 team volunteers and lasted almost 2¾ hours.
The walker was sledged from Cat Bells. Photo: Keswick MRT
As the rescue was ending, the team was alerted to another walker in difficulties on Cat Bells.
A woman had slipped on wet grass near the summit of the fell and injured her ankle.
The spokesperson said: “After a brisk kit re-sort en route and with fresh team members going direct the casualty was quickly found.
“Following pain relief and splinting of the ankle, the woman was sledged down the side of Cat Bells to the road. Her partner then took her to hospital for x-rays and further checks.”
The 2½-hour incident involved 19 Keswick MRT members.
Alan
18 November 2021Bumbed into by playful dogs ! More likely attacked
Spike
18 November 2021@Alan: "More likely attacked" - it would appear that neither the casualty nor her husband has claimed she was attacked by the dogs, so unless you *know* better, then save us the idle speculation. A group of playful dogs - just like a group of playful children, adolescents or even (!) adults - tends to act as a group and take little notice of others. So don't make more of this than necessary. Which doesn't mean at all that the owner of the dogs should not have had them under proper control.
#notatouristjustanequal
18 November 2021Dogs not under control. Plain and simple. Owners should be sued for compensation, with possible criminal charges being brought. I can't believe the carefree attitudes some people have in instances like this. People are so responsibility shy these days. If you have an animal out on the trail YOU are responsible for its actions. Saying its playful is not a defence.
Peter
18 November 2021@ Spike Are you for real?
Definitely dogs not under proper control. If dogs are running about that much and there are other people on the path then the owners should put them on a lead if they're dogs that won't do as they're told. What happened here shows the result of lazy dog owners.
Not everyone likes dogs and some people (even adults) are frightened of them.
BTW, I have 2 dogs and walk them on the fells 2 or 3 times every week.
Nondumvetus
20 November 2021This is getting more and more common. Dogs dangerously out of control on the fells. I have been confronted with snarling dogs with no sign of the owner for several minutes. When the owner did arrive, they were unable to call their animals to heel and even when she got the leads on, was clearly not strong enough to pull the dogs away.
When on the fells, keep your dog within sight or on a lead, unless they will come to heel when called.
Imagine if a broken hip had been the result of this "playful" encounter?
Spike
22 November 2021@Peter: Yes, I'm absolutely for real. Read what I wrote: I objected to Alan's comment that the casualty was "attacked" by these dogs when no such claim by the casualty or her husband was reported in the article. I then pointed out that the owner should have had the dogs under proper control.
And if you want a BTW: I'm a former mountain rescue search dog handler. I am aware of the importance of keeping dogs under control - on the fells and everywhere else.