Incident reports
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January 2017
1 incident ill-prepared walkers and serious injury Snowdonia Serious incident
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team issued a winter safety warning following a busy start to 2017, noting four call-outs since early January involving ill-prepared groups. Incidents included a group relying on a single mobile phone light and a person suffering a serious arm injury after slipping on ice near Snowdon summit, which the team said could have been prevented with proper equipment and planning.
Outcome: casualties assisted by rescue teams and support from neighbouring teams and coastguard helicopter
October 2016
1 incident climber fall Highlands Serious incident
A climber in his 50s fell on the North Face of Ben Nevis on Friday and was airlifted by helicopter along with his uninjured companion. He died from his injuries despite the rescue efforts of Lochaber and RAF mountain rescue teams in difficult dark and cloudy conditions.
Outcome: casualty died from injuries
August 2016
3 incidents speed flying accident Brecon Beacons Serious incident
A 35-year-old speed flyer crashed on Pen-Y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons and was rescued by Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and the coastguard. He sustained a shattered spine and spent 38 days in hospital, but has since recovered sufficiently to rejoin the rescue team as a volunteer.
Outcome: casualty evacuated and hospitalised with spinal injury; recovered and returned to activity
fallen climber Highlands Serious incident
A member of Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team died after slipping and falling on Ruadh Stac Mor on 12 August while setting up a radio relay station for a charity event. Despite activating his personal locator beacon and being rescued by team members within six hours, he was seriously injured and subsequently died in hospital.
Outcome: casualty evacuated by helicopter, died in hospital
Mountain biking accident North East
Outcome: Two individuals were airlifted to hospital; one was in critical condition and the other stable.
July 2016
1 incident injured walker Lake District
A 50-year-old man sustained an ankle injury on Haystacks and spent the night at a nearby bothy. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue team treated him and stretchered him down to Gatesgarth Farm, from where his friends transported him to West Cumberland Hospital.
Outcome: casualty stretchered to Gatesgarth Farm and taken to hospital by friends
June 2016
3 incidents lost group Brecon Beacons
Twenty-six teenagers from Hertfordshire became lost in cloud around Llyn y Fan Fach in the Brecon Beacons while undertaking a Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition. A rescue helicopter located the groups and all were safely accounted for; they were taken to hospital for precautionary checks with no serious injuries reported.
Outcome: all located safely, taken to hospital for precautionary checks with no serious injuries
injured riders Southern Uplands
Two riders participating in Selkirk's annual Common Riding event suffered lower leg injuries on hill sections of the route. Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue attended and transported both casualties to Borders General Hospital for treatment.
Outcome: both casualties transported to Borders General Hospital
swimming fatality North East Serious incident
A 16-year-old died after getting into difficulties while swimming beneath High Force waterfall in Middleton-in-Teesdale on Tuesday. He was recovered from the water by fire brigade rescue and airlifted to hospital but later died. Five other teenagers in the water were uninjured.
Outcome: teenager died in hospital
April 2016
2 incidents lost group of schoolchildren Brecon Beacons
A group of 43 Belgian schoolchildren became lost on Neuadd Ridge in the Brecon Beacons. Central Beacons and Brecon Mountain Rescue Teams located all the children at The Old Barn Tea Rooms in Ponsticill after initial confusion over a miscount; all were safely returned to their coach unharmed.
Outcome: all children safely located and reunited with coaches
severe hypothermia Northern Ireland
A 16-year-old student from Royal School, Dungannon, suffered severe hypothermia and lost consciousness during a Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the Mourne mountains on 2 April 2016. Several group members also experienced mild hypothermia when conditions deteriorated near Slieve Beg. The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team was called and all 11 students were located and treated; the affected student was stretchered down and recovered at home without requiring hospital admission.
Outcome: casualty stretchered down and evacuated, no hospital treatment required, made good recovery at home
March 2016
1 incident injured walker Scotland Serious incident
A woman fell 100–150 metres near the summit of Goat Fell on the Isle of Arran on Monday afternoon, sustaining various injuries. She was winched to safety by coastguard search and rescue helicopter, and the rest of her party were guided down by team members.
Outcome: casualty airlifted by helicopter
February 2016
2 incidents avalanche Highlands Serious incident
A climber died in an avalanche on Creag Meagaidh in Lochaber while climbing with a companion. The 54-year-old was airlifted to hospital but died despite emergency response from multiple mountain rescue teams. His climbing partner survived with serious injuries.
Outcome: casualty died in hospital; companion airlifted and survived with serious injuries
missing persons Highlands Serious incident
Two climbers from Bradford, Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, went missing on Ben Nevis on 15 February 2016 after failing to return from an outing. Mountain rescuers conducted ongoing search efforts in the Coire na Ciste area, hampered by hazardous weather including snow and high winds. The status of the couple remained unresolved at the time of reporting.
Outcome: unresolved search continuing
January 2016
4 incidents Climbing/Rescue North East
Mountain rescue volunteers assisted a young boy who became stuck on a climbing crag at the Drake Stone. The operation required rigging a technical rope system to safely lower him to ground level after a two-and-a-half-hour effort involving multiple agencies.
Outcome: Rescued safely
hypothermic walker Southern Uplands Serious incident
A walker found in severe hypothermia on the Border Ridge during the Spine Race on 16 January 2016 was treated at the Auchope Shelter and evacuated by Coastguard helicopter. The rescue team credited the mountain refuge hut with saving the casualty's life, and he was expected to make a full recovery.
Outcome: evacuated by Coastguard helicopter, expected to make full recovery
lost walkers Highlands Serious incident
Two poorly equipped walkers became lost on Ben Lomond during descent in winter conditions and ended up at an isolated farm north of the mountain. Lomond Mountain Rescue Team located them at Comer Farm in the evening after a search involving ground teams and a helicopter. The walkers were found cold and wet but uninjured, having fallen several times during their descent in darkness.
Outcome: located at Comer Farm, cold and wet but uninjured
injured climber Highlands
A climber fell approximately 50 feet in Green Gully on Ben Nevis's North Face and sustained facial injuries. He and his companion climbed out via Number 3 Gully and were assisted by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and airlifted by helicopter to hospital.
Outcome: airlifted by helicopter to Belford Hospital
December 2015
1 incident flooding emergency response Southern Uplands
Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team coordinated with multiple agencies during Storm Frank to assist with flood evacuation and welfare checks across the Scottish Borders. Team members helped residents evacuate from high-risk areas including Hawick and Peebles, assisted a driver trapped in floodwater at Stobo, and conducted door-to-door welfare checks until standing down on the evening of 30 December.
Outcome: residents evacuated to reception centres; stranded driver assisted by emergency services; welfare checks completed
October 2015
1 incident climbers in difficulty Highlands
Four climbers spent a night on Ben Nevis after encountering difficulty during their descent in Observatory Gully. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team located the party and assisted them to a location where a coastguard helicopter airlifted them from the mountain. None of the group sustained injuries.
Outcome: airlifted by coastguard helicopter, uninjured
September 2015
3 incidents missing person Highlands Serious incident
A 65-year-old hill runner from Dingwall went missing during a hill running expedition in the Torridon mountains and was found deceased in the Liathach area after a two-day search involving rescue teams, sniffer dogs and a Coastguard helicopter.
Outcome: body recovered
missing person Highlands Serious incident
A 65-year-old experienced hillrunner and member of Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team went missing after setting out on a running trip in Torridon on 20 September 2015. His body was found on Liathach on 26 September 2015 after a major multi-agency search. Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
Outcome: body recovered
Paragliding accident/Rescue Scotland
A paraglider sustained injuries after being involved in a mid-air collision on Arran. Members of the local Mountain Rescue Team were required to abseil down a cliff at Catacol to reach him. He was subsequently flown to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
Outcome: Injured, transported to hospital
August 2015
1 incident injured walker Brecon Beacons
A walker sustained a leg injury at Henrhyd Falls in the Brecon Beacons and was unable to continue walking. Three mountain rescue teams worked together to extract him from the base of the waterfall and hand him over to ambulance for transfer to hospital.
Outcome: casualty extracted and transferred to A&E by ambulance