In the news

Man fallen – head and back injuries

July 8, 2025

July 7, 2025 15:00hrs

On Monday 7th July at 15:00hrs Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was tasked by Cumbria Police to a report of an elderly man who had fallen in the Grisedale valley and was unable to continue his walk. He was described as suffering with head and back injuries due to the nature of his fall.

On arrival at the casualty site it was established that he had, in fact, fallen near to Grisedale Tarn and had slowly walked down the valley until he succumbed to the pain and could walk no further. The man was assessed and given pain relief, he was then packaged in a vacuum mattress and placed onto a stretcher.

Due to the nature of his injuries a request was made for assistance from the Great North Air Ambulance to fly the casualty to hospital. Unfortunately due to the weather conditions they managed to drop the Hems Doctor at the scene but then had to land in the valley bottom. After consultation with the helicopter crew it was decided the patient wouldn’t be flown in the aircraft. The casualty was carried off the hill down to the Team Land Rovers and then conveyed to Patterdale Base where he was handed over to the North West Ambulance Service for onward travel to hospital.  

12 Team Members were involved in the incident taking 4 hours to complete.