Four 18 Year Olds Airlifted To Safety After Getting Stuck On Lake District Crag
Four 18 year olds have been airlifted to safety after becoming stuck on a Lake District crag and being unable to make their way off Broad Stand on Scafell.
Cumbria Police received a call about the group after they became unable to get off Broad Stand on Scafell on Friday, September 4. The incident led to the deployment of Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team and a Coastguard helicopter as rescuers worked to reach the stranded group.
Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team was deployed at around 5.30pm, with the Coastguard helicopter also assisting with the rescue. The operation required specialist equipment and careful planning because of the difficult location on the crag.
The helicopter was requested to help transport heavy crag rescue equipment up the mountain. Without the aircraft, rescuers estimated it would have taken two hours or more for the team to reach the casualties on foot and then establish a suitable rope system.
The four young people were already cold when the rescue operation was under way. Because their exact location was not known, the mountain rescue team also took additional equipment with them so they would be prepared for a potentially lengthy lower from the crag.
The Coastguard helicopter was initially unable to reach the scene because of the conditions. Instead, it lifted four members of the mountain rescue team as close to the casualties as possible so they could begin preparing the ropes required for the rescue.
The weather subsequently cleared sufficiently for the aircraft to return to the scene. This allowed the helicopter to reach the area where the four 18 year olds were stranded and assist directly with their evacuation.
Each of the four casualties was winched from the crag by the helicopter. They were then flown down to the car park, bringing the most critical part of the rescue operation to a safe conclusion.
Once the four young people had been taken from the mountain, the helicopter returned to collect the four remaining mountain rescue team members who had earlier been lifted up the hill.
A total of 12 mountain rescue team members were involved in the incident. The rescue operation continued for several hours before finally being completed at 9.36pm on Friday evening.
The operation involved rescuers working in difficult mountain conditions while also dealing with uncertainty over the exact location of the stranded group. The use of the helicopter enabled specialist equipment and rescuers to be moved into position more quickly.
The initial inability of the helicopter to reach the scene meant the rescue team had to adapt its approach. Four rescuers were lifted as close as possible to the group so that preparations for the rope system could begin while conditions remained challenging.
The subsequent improvement in the weather allowed the helicopter to return to the crag and complete the winching operation. The four 18 year olds were then flown down to the car park rather than being required to make their own way off the difficult terrain.
The mountain rescue team later thanked the Coastguard for its assistance during the operation. Particular thanks were given for the helicopter crew's flying in difficult cloud conditions.
The incident highlights the difficulties that can arise during rescues on exposed Lake District terrain, where access to casualties can require specialist equipment, rope systems and aerial assistance.
Despite the challenging conditions and the time required to reach the group, the rescue operation successfully brought all four 18 year olds down from the crag. The incident was concluded shortly before 10pm after the remaining rescuers had also been collected.
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