Brim Fell and Low Water

A group of walkers had to be rescued in an operation described by rescuers as ‘dangerous’.

The walkers became benighted on a Lake District fell in appalling weather  late yesterday, Thursday.

Members of the Coniston Mountain Rescue Team were joined by colleagues from the Duddon and Furness team after they were called to help three men and a dog reported lost on the Old Man of Coniston at 5pm.

Initial reports said the party was not well equipped, so the 14 members of the Coniston team were augmented by Duddon and Furness members as the weather was deteriorating and it was getting dark.

The search was hampered by gales gusting up to 80mph (130kph) and the rescue teams had to conduct much of the operation on hands and knees as they risked being blown off their feet by the high winds.

Rain and mist added to the problems and one team member had a walking pole snapped in half in the wind.

Jeff Carroll of the Coniston team said: “The team experienced extremely high winds and driving rain which made the operation both difficult and dangerous. The walkers were located unhurt near Brim Fell and escorted down off the fell by Team members.”

Brim Fell, a 796m (2,612ft) outlier of the Old Man of Coniston, lies between Low Water and Levers Water.