Incident reports

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December 2021

9 incidents

Location not specified

medical emergency Southern Uplands Serious incident

A Scottish hillwalker died from a heart attack during a significant rescue operation in the Scottish hills. The incident prompted a large-scale rescue mission response.

Outcome: fatality

Torduff reservoir, Edinburgh

medical emergency Southern Uplands Serious incident

A 75-year-old hillwalker suffered cardiac arrest near Torduff reservoir in Edinburgh on Boxing Day and was pronounced dead at the scene. Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue and other emergency services attended but were unable to revive the casualty.

Outcome: casualty pronounced dead at scene

Conic Hill, Loch Lomond

injured walker Highlands

An injured walker was airlifted from Conic Hill near Loch Lomond by Lomond Mountain Rescue Team on Christmas Day after sustaining lower leg injuries. The casualty was evacuated by helicopter to safety.

Outcome: airlifted to safety by helicopter

near Snowdon

fatal fall Snowdonia Serious incident

A woman died after falling from a peak near Snowdon. The incident occurred at a location known for dangerous terrain in the Snowdonia area.

Outcome: fatal

Glen Nevis, Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag

missing person, fatality Highlands Serious incident

A 60-year-old hillwalker from Bo'ness was reported missing after failing to return from a walk in Glen Nevis on 20 December. A search operation involving mountain rescue teams, search dogs and a Coastguard helicopter recovered a body. Formal identification was pending but the family had been informed and there were no suspicious circumstances.

Outcome: body recovered

Skirrid Fawr, Black Mountains

medical emergency Brecon Beacons

A young man suffered a medical incident on Skirrid Fawr in the Black Mountains on the Herefordshire-Wales border. Mountain rescue medics treated him on the hill, stretchered him off, and he was taken to hospital. The rescue involved cooperation between Longtown Mountain Rescue Team and other emergency services.

Outcome: casualty treated by mountain rescue medics, stretchered off hill and taken to hospital

Tryfan, Snowdonia

climbing slip and fall Snowdonia Serious incident

Two climbers were injured when one slipped and fell on top of the other while descending a waterfall gully on Tryfan in Snowdonia. Both men fell approximately 3 metres; the more seriously injured casualty was airlifted to hospital by coastguard helicopter, while the second casualty walked off the mountain with assistance.

Outcome: more serious casualty airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd; second casualty walked down with help

Skirrid Fach

missing person Brecon Beacons

A man missing for nearly 24 hours on Skirrid Fach hill near Abergavenny was found on 11 December after an extensive search involving Longtown Mountain Rescue Team, search dog handlers, and members of the public. He was quickly evacuated and transferred to an ambulance for further treatment.

Outcome: located and evacuated by ambulance for treatment

Greenside mine area, Glenridding

animal rescue Lake District

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team responded to a sheep trapped on a ledge above old mine workings in the Greenside mine area near Glenridding. Team members used a rope and pulley system to lower a rescuer who encouraged the animal back to safety. The sheep was successfully rescued and reunited with its flock.

Outcome: sheep rescued and returned to flock

November 2021

3 incidents

Pentland Hills

stranded walkers Southern Uplands

Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team responded to two walkers stranded on the Pentland Hills after dark on Monday evening. The team of 18 volunteers located the couple within an hour; they were cold but otherwise uninjured. The incident highlighted the importance of carrying appropriate navigation and safety equipment during shorter daylight hours.

Outcome: walkers located and assisted, no injuries reported

Hay Bluff, Black Mountains

paraglider crash Brecon Beacons Serious incident

A paraglider crashed on Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains near Hay-on-Wye on Saturday morning and sustained severe injuries. Longtown Mountain Rescue Team and a Coastguard helicopter attended the remote crash site, establishing a rope system to safely raise the casualty up the hillside before airlifting him to Cardiff hospital for treatment.

Outcome: airlifted to Cardiff hospital with severe injuries

Striding Edge, Helvellyn

fatal fall Lake District Serious incident

A 54-year-old man from Cheshire died after falling from Striding Edge on Helvellyn on 2 November. His wife, who had turned back at the start of the scramble, alerted police when he did not return. His body was found by a search dog approximately three and a half hours later on the south side of the mountain, and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

Outcome: deceased, body recovered after six hours

October 2021

11 incidents

Gowbarrow Fell, Aira Force

injured walker Lake District

A woman slipped and sustained a lower leg injury while walking from Gowbarrow Fell to Aira Force in the Lake District. Patterdale Mountain Rescue attended, treated the injury, and evacuated her by stretcher to a waiting ambulance for hospital transport.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by stretcher to hospital

Dovestone Reservoir, Oldham

lost walkers Peak District Serious incident

A couple became lost in darkness near Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham with limited mobile battery. Oldham Mountain Rescue Team located them near Birchen Clough and escorted them to safety uninjured. The team issued safety guidance for autumn and winter walking.

Outcome: both walkers located unhurt and escorted to safety

Cairngorms, Ben Macdui area

lost walker Highlands Serious incident

A 62-year-old walker became separated from his companion in poor weather near Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms on Friday and spent two nights exposed on the hillside. After his companion raised the alarm, a major search and rescue operation involving helicopter, mountain rescue teams, police and dogs was launched. He was found by Aberdeen University students on Sunday morning, provided with food and shelter, and airlifted to safety.

Outcome: walker found by students and airlifted to safety, reunited with companion and family

Aira Force gorge, Ullswater

man falls in gorge Lake District Serious incident

A man fell into Aira Force gorge near Ullswater, initially dropping 10 metres. When attempting to climb out he fell back into the gorge a second time and remained in the water for approximately one hour before being rescued by rope by Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team. He was treated for hypothermia and suspected fractures.

Outcome: casualty rescued by rope, treated for hypothermia and suspected arm and leg fractures, taken to Cumberland Infirmary

injured person on embankment Peak District

A man fell down a steep embankment at Daisy Nook Country Park near Ashton-under-Lyne and sustained a knee injury. Mountain rescers from Oldham Mountain Rescue Team assisted paramedics with a rope extraction to bring him up the slope, and he was conveyed to hospital by ambulance.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by stretcher and transported to hospital with knee injury

Pentland Hills

injured runner Southern Uplands

A man slipped while running with a local club in the Pentland Hills and suffered a suspected dislocated knee. He was attended to by members of the running club and Police Scotland before being rescued by Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue with assistance from Border Search and Rescue Unit, and was transported to hospital.

Outcome: casualty evacuated to hospital by stretcher

Woodcroft Quarry, near Chepstow

fallen climbers South West

Two climbers fell at Woodcroft Quarry near Chepstow and became stranded on a ledge halfway down the 100m cliff face. Seven SARA crews worked with emergency services to rescue both casualties, who were evacuated by rope and handed over to the ambulance service.

Outcome: both casualties evacuated by rope and delivered to ambulance service

Goatfell, Arran

lost walkers Scotland

A couple became separated from their group and lost on steep ground near the summit of Goatfell on Arran. One casualty was airlifted with a leg injury; the other was found in forestry after five hours, cold but uninjured.

Outcome: one evacuated by helicopter with leg injury, one found by team members

Cairngorms

missing person Highlands Serious incident

Two hillwalkers became separated in poor weather on the Cairngorms plateau in October 2021. One was missing for over 48 hours before being located by university students and subsequently airlifted to safety by rescue helicopter. Both were reunited safely.

Outcome: casualty found after 48 hours and airlifted to safety by helicopter

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

injured walker Southern Uplands

A hillwalker was injured while climbing on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh on Friday afternoon. Emergency services including Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, and mountain rescue teams responded to the incident. The casualty was evacuated using the Ambulance Service's all-terrain Wolverine vehicle and transported to hospital.

Outcome: casualty evacuated by all-terrain vehicle and transported to hospital

September 2021

1 incident

Snowdon, Tryfan, Snowdonia

injured walker, ill-equipped visitors Snowdonia Serious incident

Mountain rescue teams in Snowdonia have responded to a significant increase in callouts, with teams highlighting a rise in unprepared walkers attempting routes on Snowdon and Tryfan. Recent rescues include a man evacuated by helicopter after sustaining a serious thigh fracture on Tryfan, and several other assistance calls for inadequately equipped visitors.

Outcome: casualty with broken thigh bone airlifted by helicopter and evacuated by stretcher