Keswick Mountain Rescue Team responds to Incident 39 on Eagle Crag

On May 1st, 2023, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called out to assist a walker who had fallen 25 feet on the rocky descent from Eagle Crag between Langstrath and Greenup. The incident was marked as Incident 39, and the callout time was 17:08.

The informant reported that the walker’s injuries included confusion, concussion, and an injured ankle, which had the potential to be life-threatening. As a result, Helimed 58 from GNAAS was initially tasked to assist. However, on assessment by a team doctor, it was determined that winching capabilities were required due to the difficulty of a stretcher evacuation. Furthermore, the walker’s injuries, while painful, were not life-threatening, and the Helimed team was stood down, and a coastguard helicopter was requested.

Image Source: Keswick MRT

The casualty was given pain relief and packaged before being airlifted to Carlisle Infirmary. The operation took a total of 4 hours and 14 minutes, with 16 team members involved. Speaking on the incident, Mike Blakey, the Keswick MRT team leader, stated, “The conditions of the fall were very difficult, and the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team worked closely with the other agencies involved to ensure that the casualty was safely and efficiently transported to the hospital.”

The response time and professionalism demonstrated by the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team and other agencies involved in this incident highlight the importance of cooperation and coordination in rescue operations. This incident serves as a reminder of the critical work that these organisations perform daily, often in challenging and unpredictable conditions, to keep people safe in the mountains.

Image Source: Keswick MRT

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