Patterdale Mountain Rescue member seriously injured.

[Andy Milne]

Reports that while attending to 2 campers, one of who had reported chest pains, a member of the Patterdale MRT fell 150m and is in a serious condition in hospital.

Thoughts go out to him, the other members of the MRT, and his family.

[RocksRock]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-55970536

[Tringa]

Another example of some people deciding

"You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area."

does not apply to them and this time with tragic consequences.

Can only hope the rescuer makes a full recovery.

Dave

[matt_outandabout]

Awful situation.

We do need to separate the MRT being there for assistance and rescue without prejudice and accepting of the risks they take, from the lockdown breaching issue. These risks are faced every time MRT turn out. Thankfully this is rarely an outcome - and we need to remind ourselves that many rescuers have been injured or killed over the years.

They have been fined for lockdown breach, good, which is a separate issue from being on the hill in my view.

[Tringa]

Awful situation.

We do need to separate the MRT being there for assistance and rescue without prejudice and accepting of the risks they take, from the lockdown breaching issue. These risks are faced every time MRT turn out. Thankfully this is rarely an outcome - and we need to remind ourselves that many rescuers have been injured or killed over the years.

They have been fined for lockdown breach, good, which is a separate issue from being on the hill in my view.

If these were normal times than I'd agree with you, but these are not normal times.

By travelling to a relatively remote area with few emergency service personnel and vehicles the two campers have put an additional and avoidable strain on those services at this time when such services are already under stress.

In addition to being encouraged to reduce the spread of COVID19 we are also asked to protect the NHS and the two involved with this incident were not, IMO, helping to protect the NHS.

They could easily have not needed help but travelling to a remote area, camping at altitude in poor weather in winter and when one of the campers had a pre-existing health issue was not the best decision.

Dave

[jamiecopeland]

The chap that developed chest pain had three heart attacks in the previous three and a half years. It doesn’t sound as though his condition is under control so seems irresponsible based on that alone.

Apparently he was feeling depressed so this trip was to try cheer him up. I can’t imagine being responsible for a MRT member suffering potentially life changing injuries will do his depression any good.

I wonder if he might yet find himself facing a civil court case if the injured party seeks damages.

[Backpacker]

I'm starting to think that it's maybe a good idea that the MRTs stop posting about any rescues for the time being. All it seems to do is stir up the same tired debates and people trying to search out who the rescued parties were (how does anyone know the guys medical history unless it's been volunteered) or possibly other sinister reasons (grass them to employers etc).

I appreciate that them posting about rescues helps with the fundraising but as long as there's lockdown we're going to have lockdown loonies and covidiots telling us to either stay in the house or do what they want.

[jamiecopeland]

I'm starting to think that it's maybe a good idea that the MRTs stop posting about any rescues for the time being. All it seems to do is stir up the same tired debates and people trying to search out who the rescued parties were (how does anyone know the guys medical history unless it's been volunteered) or possibly other sinister reasons (grass them to employers etc).

I appreciate that them posting about rescues helps with the fundraising but as long as there's lockdown we're going to have lockdown loonies and covidiots telling us to either stay in the house or do what they want.

The person who developed chest pain has been interviewed by the press. In this publicly accessible interview he volunteered his history of chest pain and current depression. Nothing sinister.

[Backpacker]

I'm starting to think that it's maybe a good idea that the MRTs stop posting about any rescues for the time being. All it seems to do is stir up the same tired debates and people trying to search out who the rescued parties were (how does anyone know the guys medical history unless it's been volunteered) or possibly other sinister reasons (grass them to employers etc).

I appreciate that them posting about rescues helps with the fundraising but as long as there's lockdown we're going to have lockdown loonies and covidiots telling us to either stay in the house or do what they want.

The person who developed chest pain has been interviewed by the press. In this publicly accessible interview he volunteered his history of chest pain and current depression. Nothing sinister.

Fair enough I wasn’t aware he’d volunteered the information (I did say it might have been volunteered) but the point still stands, you only have to go through social media and see people trying to dig up information on people being rescued

[Tringa]

I'm starting to think that it's maybe a good idea that the MRTs stop posting about any rescues for the time being. All it seems to do is stir up the same tired debates and people trying to search out who the rescued parties were (how does anyone know the guys medical history unless it's been volunteered) or possibly other sinister reasons (grass them to employers etc).

I appreciate that them posting about rescues helps with the fundraising but as long as there's lockdown we're going to have lockdown loonies and covidiots telling us to either stay in the house or do what they want.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this. Apart from, as you say, reporting helping with fund raising I think it is a good idea to report rescues at any time, but especially now. It might have no effect at all and the fully paid up members of the ' I can do whatever I want' club will still do whatever they want, but if reporting stop one incident like this, or even just a rescue that doesn't result in injure to the MRT, it will be worthwhile.

Dave

[Kinshusrst Kid]

Backpacker said
" you only have to go through social media and see people trying to dig up information on people being rescued"

Probably so called journalists looking for something to pad out their miserable offering. Or perhaps bribing hospital staff to take photographs of a patient while ICU staff were otherwise engaged. That is even worse than trying to gain entry of the patients house while they were still in hospital to get a photograph. Or blocking the ICU family phone line trying to get a comment.

[iain_mac]

Absolutely no excuse to a) be travelling from Leicester and Liverpool to the LD and b) to be camping on Red Screes when both are currently prohibited under lockdown. The weather was so poor that day too, with 30mph winds during the day and ice and frost still on higher altitude rock. Now a 60-year old MRT volunteer has been seriously injured which could have been totally avoided. Sigh.

[matt_outandabout]

I agree the breach of lockdown is ridiculous and is the cause of the incident. Rightly they have been fined and I am sure given a suitable hard time for this.

I also agree that if they had not travelled, this would not have been an incident needing MRT.

They could easily have not needed help but travelling to a remote area, camping at altitude in poor weather in winter and when one of the campers had a pre-existing health issue was not the best decision.

I too have travelled to a hill, in a remote area, and in bad weather, plus I have a health condition. I am even known to ride bikes, canoe on white water and ski on occasion - all much higher risk activities - still in remote areas, up hills and in all weathers.

At what point are we making the hills the preserve of the healthy, elite mountain-dweller, gate kept by a committee approving who can go out today and on what hills, only in approved waterproofs of course?

The volunteer MRT rescue and assistance is without judgement, fear or favour. Long may that stance be the case.

The MRT also know and accept the risks. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, rescuer who is injured or killed on the hill while volunteering to rescue others.

Every year we have ridiculous stories of misadventure, poor judgement, lack of knowledge and downright irresponsibility leading to a rescue. This is not a new or unique thing just because we are in a viral pandemic.

Please step forward if you have never made a bad call, had a close escape or had to call MRT for assistance? I have called them - and have made many, many bad calls.

Those that need to be are fined - up here it is everything from wasting police time through to culpable and reckless conduct. When my friend has his mountain biking accident all of us were cautioned and interviewed by the police as we thought it was going to be a fatality. The police have powers here.

We need to be careful - there is precedent last week that being outdoors, up a hill, in bad weather can lead to prosecution (and yet the lockdown breach is played down...). See this for a worrying read:
http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2021/02/06/the-criminalisation-of-outdoor-recreation-during-the-covid-crisis/

Having also been involved in a few other incidents through my career in outdoor learning I have also learned to not totally believe everything in the media. I was involved in an incident where the irresponsible group who needed rescue were reported as being the saviours of two others - almost the direct opposite of the situation - and with no mention of the real rescuers from local outdoor centre.

I will repeat - they should not have been there due to lockdown.
But when they were, and needed help, we should be supporting of MRT stepping up and doing what they do. Next time it might be me.

[al78]

I too have travelled to a hill, in a remote area, and in bad weather, plus I have a health condition. I am even known to ride bikes, canoe on white water and ski on occasion - all much higher risk activities - still in remote areas, up hills and in all weathers.

Please step forward if you have never made a bad call, had a close escape or had to call MRT for assistance? I have called them - and have made many, many bad calls.

*Steps forward*

Does that now give me the right to criticise carelessness? Not that I care if you think it does or not, I have the right to my opinion regardless. I do believe that if someone is careless and consequences result, they should be criticised for it, especially if it is an innocent third party that cops the consequences. Going out in poor winter conditions with a health condition that might increase the risk of coming a cropper in the middle of a pandemic when the official regulations are to avoid doing that, is careless and thoughtless.

Assuming bikes means bicycles, riding a bicycle is not a high risk activity, unless you are doing extreme mountain biking and don't have the skills for it.

[Glengavel]

We need to be careful - there is precedent last week that being outdoors, up a hill, in bad weather can lead to prosecution (and yet the lockdown breach is played down...). See this for a worrying read:
http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2021/02/06/the-criminalisation-of-outdoor-recreation-during-the-covid-crisis/

Just being outdoors triggers some people...my wife and I drove out last weekend a distance of about 30 miles (keeping within Fife) and did a circular walk of about six miles. She asked me not to post pictures on Facebook because of the reaction it might cause among people who are convinced that we drove too far or shouldn't have driven at all, and then spent too long outdoors. "But the rules say..."; no they effing well don't!