Broad Stand, scene of the rescue. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Broad Stand, scene of the rescue. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

A walker was airlifted from a Lake District mountain after falling on a scramble route.

The man badly injured his leg in the incident at Broad Stand on Scafell on Friday.

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team members were alerted about 3.10pm and 15 of its volunteers were involved for almost 4½ hours in dealing with the incident.

The Great North Air Ambulance flew to the site near Mickledore, between Scafell and Scafell Pike. The crew treated the injured man and also helped airlift Wasdale MRT members up to Mickledore.

The Caernarfon Coastguard helicopter also flew to the scene.

A Wasdale MRT spokesperson said: “Once on scene the team helped to package the casualty and then move him a short distance to a position where he could be winched by the Coastguard helicopter who then took the walker to hospital.

“We were also helped by two passing climbers who were able to belay the stretcher while it was moved.”

Broad Stand, which lies on the shortest route between England’s two highest mountains, is an accident blackspot for Wasdale MRT and has been the scene of several fatal falls. Its passage involves an exposed move on a route officially classified as a Difficult rock climb.

Descending towards upper Eskdale a short distance and using the Foxes Tarn route is considered a safer option.

It is believed poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge may have descended Broad Stand in 1802 during which he said ‘My limbs were all in a tremble’.

Some articles the site thinks might be related:

  1. Three walking groups rescued after getting lost on Scafell Pike
  2. Scafell walker dies after fall on Broad Stand
  3. Four rescued in seven-hour operation after getting stuck on Dow Crag
  4. South Pennines walker suffers broken leg in fall near reservoir at Denholme
  5. Brecon Beacons walker rescued from Blorenge after injuring ankle in fall