Rescuers place the injured dog on a stretcher. Photo: Northumberland National Park MRT
An injured dog was among those rescued in a busy week for north-eastern mountain rescue teams.
The labradoodle badly injured his leg while walking with four two-legged companions up The Cheviot on Sunday.
Northumbria Police contacted Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team about 1.20pm and volunteers from the team went to the site, in the Northumberland national park.
A NNPMRT spokesperson said: “Although rescuing animals is not the main role of mountain rescue, assistance was provided due to the remote location, the potential for injury to the dog’s human companions while carrying him down and to relieve the dog’s suffering.
“The labradoodle was loaded into a stretcher and carried back to Harthope Valley by two mountain rescue members, one current and one former search dog handlers.
“They were assisted by a police officer and the dog’s human companions. The dog has since undergone an operation on his leg.”
The incident involved three mountain rescue volunteers for 3½ hours.
The previous day, the Northumberland National Park team was on duty to cover the Cheviots Challenge, when three separate incidents happened. A woman in her early 50s suffered severe chest pains and collapsed on one of the most exposed sections of the Pennine Way, west of Windy Gyle.
The air ambulance at the scene where the woman collapsed. Photo: Northumberland National Park MRT
The spokesperson said: “Two team members were on scene within minutes and further assistance arrived shortly after. One of the doctors in the team worked alongside two of our other medics to stabilise the casualty, before handing over to the Great North Air Ambulance Service for a short flight to a crewed ambulance in the Coquet valley.
“While this incident was ongoing, team members were also dealing with a second female who had sustained an ankle injury and was unable to continue. Both casualties were taken to hospital in the same ambulance.”
Late that day, rescuers were contacted after a group of nine walkers got lost and benighted on the North Pennine hills. The team spokesperson said: “Once again Sarloc – a location app – proved its worth.
“A text was sent to one of the walker’s mobile phones which enabled us to pinpoint their location. The walkers had turned 90 degrees off their intended route and ended up in unfamiliar ground 2km from their last known point, Shillmoor.
“They had walked an extra 5km from Shillmoor and had almost gone in a full circle.
“The walkers were evacuated in mountain rescue Land Rover ambulances to Alwinton where they were checked out by a doctor and a medic from the team before being allowed to head home.”
The three incidents involved 25 team members over a period of eight hours.
The volunteer rescuers were called out again on Tuesday after a man in his 70s was reported overdue returning from a walk in the woods around Cragside, near Rothbury. The spokesperson said: “Around 20 minutes after mobilising, the gentleman returned fit and well.”
The one-hour callout involved 15 mountain rescuers.
