Mountain biker airlifted after fall at Whinlatter

A mountain biker was injured in a fall at Darling How Plantation, Whinlatter, on Sunday 11 October 2026, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team said.

The team was called at 12.10pm and the rescue lasted an hour and a half, with 13 volunteers taking part in clear weather.

The cyclist suffered injuries to their left arm and chest. Great North Air Ambulance was already in the area and landed close to the scene before the team arrived.

By the time team members reached the casualty, medical care was "well underway", with oxygen and pain relief being given and the arm splinted, the team said in a post on its website.

Volunteers moved the casualty into a stretcher and set up a rope system to lower them safely down the steep terrain to a forestry track. From there they were carried a short distance to the waiting helicopter and flown to Newcastle for further treatment.

The place

Darling How Plantation lies on the Whinlatter ridge near Broom Fell, a hill given separate status by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.

The team

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team is made up of unpaid volunteers who respond to incidents in the Lorton, Loweswater, Buttermere and Ennerdale areas, according to its website. The team recorded 92 call-outs in 2025, according to the Mountain Rescue England and Wales Annual Review 2026. (Mountain Rescue England and Wales, Cockermouth MRT)

Staying safe

Anyone needing help in the hills should dial 999 or 112 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue. People should note the location, details of any casualty and the nature of injuries before calling, and should not move from their position once a rescue team has been contacted. (mountain.rescue.org.uk)

Earlier call-outs in Lake District & Cumbria

• Man, 90, rescued after fall near Watendlath Beck

• Walker rescued after ankle injury on Latterbarrow

• Couple rescued after river crossing attempt on Blencathra

Read Cockermouth MRT’s original post on its website.

Sources

1. Callout 84: Darling How Plantation, Whinlatter Cockermouth MRT
2. Broom Fell Wikipedia
3. MREW Annual Review 2026, incident figures January to December 2025 Mountain Rescue England and Wales
4. Cockermouth MRT website Cockermouth MRT
5. In an emergency in the hills, dial 999 or 112, ask for the police, then mountain rescue. mountain.rescue.org.uk
6. If you have hearing or speech difficulties, you can register to contact 999 by text by sending the word register to 999 and following the instructions sent. mountain.rescue.org.uk