Walker rescued after ankle injury on Sale Fell

A walker was rescued from Sale Fell in the Lake District after suffering an ankle injury while climbing the hill on Sunday 11 October 2026, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team has said.

The team said it was called out at 1.13pm, shortly after a previous casualty was loaded into a helicopter. Seventeen volunteers attended in clear weather, and the rescue lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes.

On arrival, rescuers found the walker in pain, with the ankle appearing misaligned. The team said in a post on its website: "On arrival, the walker was in quite a lot of pain, and the ankle appeared misaligned. Strong pain relief was administered, the ankle realigned, and then splinted."

The casualty was placed on a stretcher and carried a short distance down to a gate, where they were handed to North West Ambulance Service.

Sale Fell

Sale Fell is a small hill near Cockermouth in the Lake District, popular with locals for its gentle walking and views across Bassenthwaite Lake to Skiddaw.

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team is a volunteer charity founded in 1953, covering the Lorton, Loweswater, Buttermere and Ennerdale areas, according to its website. It recorded 92 call-outs in 2025, according to the Mountain Rescue England and Wales annual review. (Cockermouth MRT, Mountain Rescue England and Wales)

Staying safe

Mountain Rescue England and Wales advises walkers to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue, in an emergency in the hills. It also recommends keeping a mobile phone fully charged, registering with emergencySMS, and noting details such as location and the nature of any injury before calling for help. (mountain.rescue.org.uk)

Earlier call-outs in Lake District & Cumbria

• Mountain biker airlifted after fall at Whinlatter

• Man, 90, rescued after fall near Watendlath Beck

• Walker rescued after ankle injury on Latterbarrow

Read Cockermouth MRT’s original post on its website.

Sources

1. Callout 85: Sale Fell Cockermouth MRT
2. Sale 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