Swirral Edge, centre, linking Catstye Cam, left, with Helvellyn

Swirral Edge, centre, linking Catstye Cam, left, with Helvellyn

A second walker has died in a fall on England’s third highest mountain, just three days after a man was fatally injured at the same site.

The 43-year-old man fell about 150m (490ft) from Swirral Edge on Helvellyn this afternoon, Thursday.

The walker, from St Helens, Merseyside, fell from the 950m (3,117ft) while with friends and relatives.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted at 2pm and 14 team members were joined by two from Penrith MRT in the rescue. An air ambulance was forced to turn back because of poor weather conditions on the mountain.

A spokesperson for the Patterdale team said: “His companions descended and performed basic life support at the scene until assistance arrived. The man was then airlifted by a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer and transferred to Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, where he sadly died.”

The mountain rescuers helped the man’s family and friends back to the Patterdale MRT base.

The incident prompted rescuers to warn walkers to go prepared when venturing on to the Lake District fells.

The spokesperson said: “Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team would like to remind everyone that that they should be well equipped, with ice axe, crampons, map, compass and torch and have the skill level and navigational experience for their intended route.”

This year has been the busiest in the team’s history, with 82 rescues carried out.

Swirral Edge, one of two arêtes round the cirque containing Red Tarn in the shadow of the mountain’s summit, is a scramble route linking Catstye Cam with the summit plateau of Helvellyn.

Alan Burns, 39, of Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, died on Monday after falling through a cornice near Swirral Edge.

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