Incident reports

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March 2013

2 incidents

Bidean nam Bian, Glencoe

climber fall Highlands Serious incident

A 39-year-old climber fell and died on Bidean nam Bian in Glencoe on 8 March 2013. This was the 12th mountain death in Scotland that year, prompting public debate about mountain safety and rescue services.

Outcome: fatality

Pillar, Lake District

fatal fall Lake District Serious incident

A 35-year-old man died after falling in Walker's Gully on Pillar while descending with two companions towards Pillar Rock. Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team and RAF and air ambulance helicopters responded to the incident, which occurred in severe winter conditions with widespread ice and hard névé on the Lake District fells.

Outcome: casualty recovered deceased

January 2013

3 incidents
missing person Southern Uplands Serious incident

The body of a 24-year-old student missing since Boxing Day was found by specialist search volunteers in St Margaret's Loch in Edinburgh's Holyrood Park. Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. The recovery operation involved members of the Borders Underwater Search Unit, Border Search and Rescue Unit, and Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.

Outcome: body recovered

runners in severe weather conditions Southern Uplands

Eight ultra marathon runners competing in the Spine Race sought shelter in mountain refuge huts in the Cheviots during blizzard conditions on the Border Ridge. The runners wisely used the emergency shelters overnight and were escorted off the hill by Mountain Rescue the following morning without serious incident.

Outcome: sheltered overnight in refuge huts; escorted off the hill by Mountain Rescue with no casualties

Newlands Pass, Lake District

vehicle stuck on ice Lake District

Two mountain rescue teams assisted four passengers in a minibus that became wedged against the roadside on ice at Newlands Pass in the Lake District. The teams successfully extracted the vehicle and its occupants, driving them safely back down to Buttermere.

Outcome: minibus and occupants extracted and driven to safety

November 2012

1 incident
crag-fast climbers, students lost in darkness Snowdonia

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue responded to two separate incidents in Snowdonia involving student groups who became disoriented in darkness. Nine climbers from Leicester University became cragfast on the Idwal Slabs on Saturday and were lowered to safety, while four students took the wrong descent route off Glyder Fach on Monday and were guided down using a team vehicle's lights.

Outcome: all casualties safely guided or lowered to safety, taken to base for food and warmth

October 2012

2 incidents
missing person Southern Uplands Serious incident

Border Search and Rescue Unit and the Underwater Search Unit recovered the body of a man in his 60s from the River Tweed near Ladykirk after an aerial search and ground search proved unsuccessful. The body was located in the water less than an hour into the dive team's search, hampered by high river levels and dense vegetation following heavy rain.

Outcome: body recovered from river

Machynlleth, Hay Bluff, Pen y Fan

missing person, missing walker, medical emergency Brecon Beacons

Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue Team was deployed to assist in the search for missing April Jones in Machynlleth over several days in early October, working in severe weather conditions alongside other rescue teams and local volunteers. During this period, the team also responded to a missing walker on Hay Bluff and a collapsed person on Pen y Fan who was evacuated by air ambulance.

Outcome: missing walker located; collapsed person evacuated by air ambulance

September 2012

1 incident

Ettrick Water, near Selkirk

body recovery Southern Uplands Serious incident

Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team assisted in recovering the body of a man from Ettrick Water near Selkirk. Three team members provided shoreline safety cover while members of the Borders Underwater Search Team retrieved the body from the river. The body was recovered at approximately 14:40 and police are investigating the circumstances.

Outcome: body recovered from river

August 2012

1 incident

Carron Valley, Stirlingshire

missing person Highlands

A retired hill farmer with dementia, Tom Robb, disappeared on 25 August 2012 while walking in Carron Valley, Stirlingshire, despite extensive searches by mountain rescue teams, police dogs, and a helicopter. No trace of him has been found. A memorial trail race is being organised by his family to raise funds for Alzheimer's Scotland and Ochils Mountain Rescue.

Outcome: not found despite extensive searches

May 2012

1 incident

River Usk, Newport

water rescue South West Serious incident

A 20-year-old man was rescued from the River Usk in Newport city centre after jumping into the water early in the morning. Emergency services, including firefighters from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, responded to a call from the man's friends and located him swimming in circles near the wave sculpture at Kingsway. He was pulled to safety using a line and inflatable boat, then taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Outcome: rescued by fire service and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

February 2012

1 incident

Ben Nevis

fatal fall Highlands Serious incident

A climber died following a fall of over 1,000 feet on Ben Nevis. The incident occurred near the summit, and the climber's companion was seriously injured in the same accident.

Outcome: climber killed, companion seriously injured

July 2011

1 incident

Ben Lomond

exhaustion during descent Highlands

A 23-year-old man became exhausted during the descent of Ben Lomond after proposing to his girlfriend on the summit. Lomond Mountain Rescue Team was called shortly after midnight and deployed two groups to assist the party. The casualty was given food and water and walked off the mountain with rescuers, reaching the base at 5am; the proposal was accepted.

Outcome: casualty rested and descended with assistance from mountain rescue

June 2011

1 incident
injured mountain biker Southern Uplands Serious incident

A 40-year-old mountain biker fell on the Deliverance trail in Glentress Forest near Peebles and sustained a broken elbow and dislocated shoulder. He was airlifted by Royal Navy Sea King helicopter to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team and paramedics assisted at the scene, which was several hundred metres from the nearest road.

Outcome: airlifted by helicopter to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

May 2011

2 incidents

Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons

lost walker with medical emergency Brecon Beacons

Four men were rescued from Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons after becoming disorientated in bad weather and high winds. One of the men was suffering from a heart condition and required stretcher evacuation; the other three were assisted off the hill. All four reached safety and the casualty was transported to hospital.

Outcome: casualty stretcher evacuated to hospital, three others assisted from the hill

Roslin Glen, Midlothian

missing person, fall into mineshaft Southern Uplands

An 83-year-old man from Edinburgh was reported missing after failing to return from a walk and was found at the bottom of a disused mineshaft in Roslin Glen, Midlothian. After an eight-hour search involving Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, Search and Rescue Dogs Association, and Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation members, he was located and carefully extracted using ropes and rigging. He was treated for suspected spinal injury and released from hospital later the same day.

Outcome: casualty extracted by rope and rigging, transported by ambulance, released from hospital same day

December 2010

1 incident
injured ice climbers Brecon Beacons

Two ice climbers were injured in a fall at Torpentau Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons and were airlifted by RAF Sea King helicopter to Cardiff accident and emergency. Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and three neighbouring teams responded to the incident.

Outcome: airlifted by RAF helicopter to Cardiff accident and emergency

November 2010

1 incident

Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons

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

High Force, Middleton-in-Teesdale

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

December 2009

1 incident

Chester-le-Street

missing person North East

A 50-year-old man has been missing from Chester-le-Street since 27 December 2009. He left home without required medication and spectacles during severe winter weather. Teesdale and Weardale Mountain Rescue Service assisted police in searching local woodland and the surrounding area.

September 2009

1 incident

Ben Eighe, Torridon

fatal fall Highlands Serious incident

A 75-year-old man died after falling approximately 100 feet on Ben Eighe in the Torridon area of the Scottish Highlands. Two female companions became trapped on a ledge and were rescued by Torridon Mountain Rescue and Stornoway Coastguard; they were uninjured. The climbing party had been out overnight when rescue teams were alerted at 0700 BST.

Outcome: casualty died from head injuries; two companions rescued uninjured

May 2009

1 incident

Ben Lomond

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

Slioch, Wester Ross

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