Two winter climbers were injured in separate incidents on the Helvellyn range.
Rescuers were called out first to aid a 21-year-old student from Lancaster who suffered a head injury when he fell from a route on Eagle Crag above Nethermost Cove.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was alerted shortly before 11am today. The 999 call was received via the emergency roaming system, which does not allow rescuers to return the call. A team spokesperson said the person who made the call had poor reception, so rescuers had scant information.
The spokesperson said: “However, eight rescuers set off to the scene and met the climber and his friends descending down into the Grisedale valley.”
The climber had fallen about 40m (130ft), suffering several cuts and bruises.
The spokesperson added: “He was assessed by the team and taken back to the team’s base before he was transferred to hospital by ambulance.”
The rescue involved 14 volunteers from Patterdale MRT.
As the team was dealing with the Eagle Crag climber, police contacted them to say another climber had suffered serious injuries to his leg and was hanging on a rope on Browncove Crags, north-west of Helvellyn.
The team spokesperson said: “Patterdale MRT quickly passed this call to Keswick MRT as the incident was on the west side of Helvellyn.
“Eight members of Kirkby Stephen MRT, who were training in the Red Tarn area, went to the climber’s aid along with Keswick MRT, a Sea King helicopter and an air ambulance.”
The climber had suffered an open fracture to his leg in the fall.
The Great North Air Ambulance’s Pride of Cumbria helicopter flew to the scene.
A GNAA spokesperson said: “The aircrew assisted Keswick Mountain Rescue Team with locating the casualty, along with an RAF Sea King which winched the casualty from the cragside before flying him to hospital in Carlisle.”
A Keswick MRT spokesperson said its members arrived at the scene shortly after the air ambulance. The spokesperson said: “The casualty was still on his climbing rope having taken a 40m leader fall, held by his second.”
The Browncove Crags rescue is the second at the site in three days. On Thursday a climber was airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy Sea King helicopter after suffering spinal, head and neck injuries in the fall.
Last Saturday, David Barrow fell 300m (1,000ft) to his death when trying to help a companion who had fallen a short distance into Brown Cove, about 1km from the two incidents on Browncove Crags.
Brian Murdy
24 January 2015I was watching these climbers preparing they seemed very well prepared ,I hope he recovers ok and still has the nerve to pursue his sport. I was also impressed with MRT teams and the rescue teams (Air ambulance,air sea rescue helicopters)
Angela.dalzell
25 January 2015What would we do without those brave souls of the mountain rescue they should be praised and rewarded.
Beth MacDougall
26 January 2015Mountain rescue teams should always be praised and supported - they do a great job in some very treacherous conditions. My late Father helped to found one way back in the 1950's after he had camped on top of Ben Nevis on Christmas day and came down to find that 2 shepherds had died because no one was able to reach them in the snow. They do an admirable job and I think they should be paid something from the Government even though they do it voluntarily.
Margaret
04 February 2015Best keep Government at arms length.