In the news

August 23, 2025 16:55

On Saturday 23rd August at 16:55hrs Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was tasked by Cumbria Police to a walker who had fallen around 100m from Swirral Edge down towards Red Tarn.

The Duty Leader called the team out and requested a Coastguard Helicopter to assist with the rescue due to the location and nature of the incident. Shortly after two vehicles with 10 members set off from Patterdale Base to head to the scene on foot. The Great North Air Ambulance also responded from Teeside but was unable to get to the casualty site and landed on Helvellyn Summit.  Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 912 from Humberside was on scene 30 minutes from the request for assistance and winched their paramedic down to the casualty. They then landed at Patterdale where they lifted the Team Doctor and Team Leader also winching them down to the casualty site to assist with treating the injured person .

The man was treated for serious trauma, given strong pain relief and then packaged in a vacuum mattress and placed on a stretcher and winched into the Rescue Helicopter which flew him to the Major Trauma Hospital at Preston for further treatment.

The man had been walking with his son when he had tripped whilst descending Swirral Edge and unfortunately tumbled around 100m down rocky steep terrain before coming to a stop on the headwall above Red Tarn.

The Team would like to thank both Coastguard Rescue 912 for their swift assistance and also the members of the public who went to help the injured walker, they wish him a swift recovery and hope he is back on the fells as soon as possible.

19 Team members were involved in the Rescue which took 5 hours to complete.