Incident reports

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July 2015

2 incidents
lightning strike Brecon Beacons Serious incident

Two people died and two others were injured following separate lightning strikes in the Brecon Beacons near Pen y Fan on Sunday midday. Casualties were struck on Cribyn and Corn Du peaks; two were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries and subsequently died, while two others were treated for burns injuries.

Outcome: two fatalities, two injured evacuated by helicopter and treated for burns

missing persons Highlands

Two hillwalkers were reported missing in the Lochaber area: Eric Cyl, 62, last seen at the end of May in the Mamore mountains near Fort William, and Tom Brown, 65, last seen on 1 July. Mountain rescue teams conducted extensive searches across Glen Nevis, the Mamores, and surrounding areas, with a rucksack belonging to Tom Brown found near Steall Falls on 9 July.

Outcome: ongoing search

May 2015

2 incidents
missing person Highlands Serious incident

An experienced hillwalker from England was reported missing after failing to return from a planned six-hour walk in the Mamore mountains near Lochaber on Saturday. A search and rescue operation involving Coastguard helicopter, mountain rescue teams from Lochaber and Glencoe, sniffer dogs, and over 30 volunteers was launched; rescue leaders indicated the operation had transitioned to a recovery effort given the length of time missing and harsh weather conditions.

Outcome: search operation underway, transitioned to recovery operation

medical emergency, hypothermia, exhaustion, knee injury Snowdonia

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue responded to four callouts over the bank holiday weekend. The incidents included a medical emergency on Moel Siabod requiring helicopter evacuation, two hypothermia cases on the Carneddau who were able to walk down, a 67-year-old man requiring stretcher evacuation and helicopter winch-out from difficult terrain near the A5, and a knee injury on Moel Siabod requiring helicopter evacuation. A main road was temporarily closed during one rescue due to the risk of falling rocks.

Outcome: four casualties evacuated by helicopter and stretcher, one group walked down with assistance

April 2015

2 incidents

Haystacks

missing dog Lake District

A dog named Tiger became stuck on the steep terrain of Haystacks in the Lake District and was reported missing by its owner. Thirty members of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team searched the hills above Buttermere and successfully reunited the dog with its owner.

Outcome: dog reunited with owner

injured walker and lost walkers Lake District

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team attended two separate incidents on Saturday evening. The first involved a 63-year-old walker who fell and fractured her wrist while descending from Wind Gap; she was located, treated, and walked down to Ennerdale Valley before being transported to hospital. Later that evening, three lost walkers were found on Buttermere Moss while descending Robinson and were evacuated to safety.

Outcome: casualty with broken wrist evacuated and transported to hospital; three lost walkers located and evacuated to safety

March 2015

5 incidents

Ben Nevis

missing person Highlands

A search was underway for a 23-year-old walker from London reported missing on Ben Nevis. He was last seen around 10am on Monday and failed to return to his accommodation in Fort William. The search involved Lochaber and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Teams, the RAF, search and rescue dogs, and a Sea King helicopter.

Ben Oss, Tyndrum Hills

missing person Highlands Serious incident

A 43-year-old man missing from hills near Tyndrum was found deceased during a large-scale search operation involving multiple rescue teams. The body was recovered in the area of Ben Oss after he was reported missing on 21 March.

Outcome: body recovered

Ptarmigan Ridge, Ben Lomond

under-equipped walkers stuck in winter conditions Highlands Serious incident

A group of three inexperienced walkers became stuck in winter conditions on Ptarmigan Ridge, Ben Lomond, during a seven-hour rescue operation. One casualty sustained a minor injury from a fall on ice, and the group was rescued by 22 volunteers from Lomond Mountain Rescue Team after being provided with microspikes and guidance down the mountain.

Outcome: all casualties rescued and brought to safety; one treated for minor injury

Ben Lomond, Ptarmigan ridge

fatal fall Highlands Serious incident

A walker died after falling approximately 1,000ft from the Ptarmigan ridge on Ben Lomond in winter conditions. He was airlifted from the scene by Royal Navy Sea King helicopter. The incident prompted Lomond Mountain Rescue Team to warn walkers about the continued winter hazards on Scottish mountain tops despite milder conditions at lower elevations.

Outcome: casualty fatality

Ben Nevis, Coire Eòghainn

walkers fallen into corrie Highlands

Four walkers fell approximately 130 feet into Coire Eòghainn on Ben Nevis after straying from the tourist path during a blizzard descent. One casualty self-evacuated to Glen Nevis where he was picked up by a member of the public and taken to hospital; the other three were met by rescuers while walking down with non-serious injuries.

Outcome: one casualty taken to hospital, three walked down with non-serious injuries

February 2015

1 incident

Aonach Mòr, east face

climber fall with head and neck injuries Highlands Serious incident

A climber suffered head and neck injuries in a fall on the east face of Aonach Mòr on Saturday. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and Nevis Range Ski Patrol attended, and the casualty was airlifted by RAF Sea King helicopter to Belford Hospital in Fort William, then transferred to Glasgow by Royal Navy helicopter.

Outcome: airlifted to hospital by RAF Sea King, transferred to Glasgow by Royal Navy Sea King

January 2015

9 incidents

Coireag Dubh Mor, Torridon

avalanche fatality Highlands Serious incident

Two experienced climbers from Suffolk were caught in an avalanche on Coireag Dubh Mor in Torridon on Friday night. One climber was found walking out to seek help on Saturday afternoon, but the other was discovered deceased. Mountain rescue teams and coastguard helicopter assisted in the search despite severe weather conditions.

Outcome: one climber killed, one climber survived

missing person Southern Uplands

A 75-year-old woman with dementia went missing from Drummond Grange Nursing Home in Lasswade on the evening of 29 January. An extensive overnight search involving police, Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue, police dog handlers and helicopters was launched. She was found safe and unharmed in the grounds of the nursing home at 11.15am on 30 January after approximately 14 hours.

Outcome: found safe and unharmed in nursing home grounds

Leithen Water, near Innerleithen

missing person with hypothermia Southern Uplands Serious incident

A rescue dog named Rauour, working with Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, located a critically injured woman trapped in tree roots during a blizzard near Innerleithen in January 2015. The unconscious casualty was suffering from advanced hypothermia and was airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy helicopter. The dog's detection skills proved instrumental in finding the casualty in thick forest conditions where a larger ground search team would have been less effective.

Outcome: casualty airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy helicopter

Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis

crag-fast climbers Highlands

Two climbers became cragfast on Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis's North Face on Saturday evening. After a night on the mountain, they were winched to safety by a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter the following morning in good condition.

Outcome: both climbers winched to safety uninjured

vehicle accident during search mission Brecon Beacons

A Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Land Rover overturned on icy roads near Aber village while the team was searching for a missing hiker on Pen y Fan. All four occupants were uninjured and able to continue the search on foot. The missing walker was subsequently located safely.

Outcome: all four occupants uninjured; vehicle lost; missing walker found safely

Cheviots

missing person Southern Uplands

A mountain biker failed to return from a ride in the Cheviots on 15 January 2015 in severe winter weather. Multiple mountain rescue teams and a RAF helicopter conducted an extensive overnight search in extreme conditions, which was scaled back at 11am on 16 January with no sightings reported.

Outcome: search suspended overnight pending further information

Ben Nevis, Observatory Gully

missing climbers Highlands

A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter was forced to make an unscheduled landing at the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team base after suffering a technical failure while assisting in a rescue operation on Ben Nevis. Two climbers were located safe and well in Observatory Gully by the rescue team with helicopter support, despite demanding weather conditions with winds gusting to 90mph.

Outcome: climbers located safe and well

Ben Nevis, No. 4 gully

avalanche Highlands

Five people were caught in an avalanche on Ben Nevis caused by a cornice collapse in No. 4 gully. All involved managed to walk out with only one minor injury reported. The incident involved support from multiple mountain rescue teams and helicopter assistance.

Outcome: all walked out with one minor injury

November 2014

1 incident

Cairngorms, Lairig Ghru

missing runner, hypothermia Highlands Serious incident

A 25-year-old runner became separated from a group of six in the Lairig Ghru area of the Cairngorms whilst wearing only shorts, trainers and a running top. Found by Cairngorm Mountain Rescue after five hours in subzero conditions and heavy snow, he was suffering from hypothermia and close to losing consciousness. He was warmed and airlifted to safety by RAF helicopter Rescue 137.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by helicopter after being warmed by rescue team

August 2014

2 incidents
injured walker Southern Uplands

A man in his 60s from Lincolnshire was rescued near the end of his multi-stage Pennine Way walk after an old knee injury recurred and worsened between Windy Gyle and Auchope Refuge Hut. Border Search and Rescue Unit members evacuated him by stretcher and Land Rover, completing the operation in less than two hours.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by stretcher and Land Rover

Mourne Mountains

missing persons Northern Ireland

A father and teenage son were rescued after becoming lost in the Mourne Mountains during a camping trip. They went missing for 13 hours after poor weather conditions caught them by surprise on Monday, but made the correct decision to pitch their tent and wait for help. Both were found exhausted and suffering from mild hypothermia but were otherwise uninjured.

Outcome: both rescued, exhausted and mildly hypothermic