AN ‘exhausted’ walker had to be flown to hospital in Carlisle after attempting a circular walk from Ambleside in heavy snow.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team received a call from Cumbria Police to alert them that the walker had been seen by passers-by at 2pm on January 12, 2025 on the top of Hartsop above How.
In an incident report post, the team said that the walker had set off from Ambleside in the morning and had planned a circular trek, but when they were found by the passers-by, they did ‘not have the strength to continue in the deep snowy conditions’.
It said: “After a while the exhausted and very cold walker was unable to stand up or move.
“The team responded quickly, and a coastguard helicopter was also requested due to the high risk of hypothermia.
“Due to deep snow on the ground it took an hour and 30 minutes for the team to reach the casualty.”
The helicopter that had set off from Caernarfon was initially unable to land near the scene due to the low cloud, and so was diverted to the Patterdale base to wait for a break in the weather.
The report said: “Meanwhile the cold casualty was wrapped in a casualty bag with heat packs and a vapour barrier to prevent further heat loss and he was put on a stretcher.
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“The team then set off hauling the stretcher through the snow to evacuate the casualty off the fell.
“Due to the deep snow and difficult terrain progress was very slow.
“Fortunately, the coastguard crew decided to attempt a second landing and this time were successful.
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“The casualty was then flown to Carlisle hospital for further treatment.
“The team are very grateful to the Caernarfon team Maritime and Coastguard Agency who recognised the difficult conditions the team were operating in and who stood by patiently until they could assist on the rescue.
“The team also want to say a big thank you to R and R The Corner Shop in Glenridding for helping the hungry team with very much needed pizzas after the long call out!”