Incident reports
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November 2010
1 incident injured walker, mountain rescue team member head injury, aircraft crash Brecon Beacons
A mountain rescue team member was airlifted after sustaining head injuries while assisting a 71-year-old walker who had slipped and broken his lower leg on Pen y Fan in atrocious conditions. The rescue operation, involving 36 volunteers from four teams, took six hours in heavy snow and freezing temperatures. The same day, a light aircraft crashed on the mountain; its pilot managed to walk away and was aided by passing walkers including two doctors.
Outcome: casualty and rescue team member airlifted to hospital; aircraft pilot walked off with assistance
October 2010
1 incident Drowning/Water Rescue North East Serious incident
A teenager sadly died after difficulties while swimming beneath a waterfall in County Durham. Rescue services were called to the area following the incident, and other individuals who were in the water were reported as uninjured.
Outcome: Fatality
May 2009
1 incident hypothermia Highlands
A lifeboat volunteer spotted a fellow walker suffering from hypothermia on Ben Lomond and used his first aid training to assist until mountain rescue arrived. The casualty was kept warm by the volunteer and other walkers for two hours before being safely evacuated from the hill.
Outcome: casualty evacuated safely
August 2008
1 incident fatal fall Highlands Serious incident
A 41-year-old climber fell approximately 40 metres on Slioch in Wester Ross on Sunday and was airlifted to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Torridon Mountain Rescue Team and rescue helicopters from RAF Lossiemouth and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency attended the scene.
Outcome: casualty pronounced dead on arrival at hospital
July 2008
1 incident drowning South West Serious incident
A 10-year-old boy from Gloucestershire drowned in the River Severn on 27 July 2008 after being swept away while playing on mud flats near Newnham. His body was recovered approximately 13 hours later. A coroner recorded the death as accidental and noted the dangers of the river's soft mud, tides, and strong currents.
Outcome: fatal
November 2007
1 incident canyoning fall Brecon Beacons
A 22-year-old man was injured during a canyoning fall near the top of the Neath Valley and was airlifted to hospital by RAF helicopter. The casualty sustained injuries to his back and hip whilst descending with a group of twelve people. He was winched 230 feet into the helicopter and flown to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.
Outcome: airlifted to hospital by helicopter with back and hip injuries
August 2007
2 incidents missing person Highlands Serious incident
A 26-year-old man missing for two days was found at the bottom of cliffs at Dumyat Hill in the Ochils after a passer-by heard his cries for help. He was airlifted to hospital with severe leg injuries and dehydration. He had left his home without money, bank cards or mobile phone.
Outcome: airlifted to Stirling Royal Infirmary with severe leg injuries and dehydration
mountain fall Highlands Serious incident
A 43-year-old experienced hillwalker from Aberdeen fell 300ft to his death near the summit of Ben Alder in the Cairngorms during atrocious weather on Saturday. He slipped on the descent path of the south east ridge close to a cliff edge. His two companions raised the alarm and were safely escorted off the mountain by rescue teams.
Outcome: fatality
January 2007
1 incident man in river Southern Uplands
A man fell into the River Tweed near Rennies Bridge in Kelso on Sunday afternoon and was rescued by firefighters with assistance from the Border Underwater Search Team and Border Search and Rescue Unit. He was taken to Borders General Hospital for treatment with injuries not thought to be serious.
Outcome: rescued and taken to hospital for treatment
October 2005
1 incident fatal fall Highlands Serious incident
A 21-year-old Royal Marine died after falling approximately 300 feet during a climbing exercise on the east side of the Ring of Steall in Glen Nevis. The incident occurred on Sunday morning shortly before 11:00 BST. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team was airlifted to the scene but the casualty was pronounced dead from his injuries.
Outcome: casualty deceased
October 2004
1 incident stranded group with hypothermia Northern Ireland Serious incident
Thirty-three teenagers and a teacher became stranded in the Mourne Mountains during bad weather on Sunday. The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team escorted the group down the mountain before dark. Four teenagers were hospitalised with hypothermia and twelve others were treated for minor symptoms, though all were discharged by midnight.
Outcome: all escorted down safely; four treated for hypothermia, twelve for minor symptoms, all discharged from hospital by midnight
March 2002
1 incident climber fall Highlands
A 44-year-old climber fell more than 70 metres on Ben Nevis's north face when an ice screw failed, but was saved by a rope attached to an earlier screw. The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team spent almost 12 hours rescuing both climbers in difficult weather conditions, and the casualty was taken to hospital in satisfactory condition.
Outcome: casualty evacuated by stretcher to hospital in satisfactory condition
January 2002
1 incident missing person Highlands
A 25-year-old walker became separated from friends on the West Highland Way between Inverarnan and Inversnaid on Monday and was reported missing. A search involving Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, trained dogs, and a rescue boat resumed on Tuesday; police expressed concern about the casualty's inadequate clothing for overnight conditions in the Highlands.
February 2000
1 incident missing person Northern Ireland
A 71-year-old man went missing from a nursing home in Castlewellan on the evening of 23 February 2000. A large-scale search involving approximately 70 people, including mountain rescue teams, police, tracker dogs, and an army helicopter with thermal imaging equipment, was launched. He was found safe in fields near the home early on 24 February, suffering from mild exposure.
Outcome: found safe with mild exposure, taken to hospital for observation
June 1969
1 incident rock fall Lake District Serious incident
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team held a remembrance service at Low Crag, Buttermere on 15 June 2019 to honour two team members killed in a rock fall during a training exercise 50 years earlier. John Thompson died at the scene and Michael Stephenson died from his injuries the following day.
Outcome: two fatalities
Undated
1 incident injured walker Yorkshire Dales
A male casualty with a broken leg was rescued from How Stean Gorge after North Yorkshire Police called out the team. The casualty was assessed, loaded onto a rescue sled, and successfully extracted from the gorge before being handed over to an awaiting ambulance.
Outcome: casualty evacuated by stretcher