The injured girl is stretchered to the air ambulance. Photo: Keswick MRT
Vehicles parked inconsiderately delayed rescuers trying to reach an injured girl in the Lake District.
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was called out to the incident in Langstrath about 4.15pm on Sunday.
A team spokesperson said Blackmoss Pot in Langstrath Beck was understandably busy on a beautiful day.
“A 12-year-old child jumped into the pool, another person jumped in immediately after and landed on the child’s head,” the spokesperson said. “The child got herself out of the water with some help but with suspected serious head and neck injuries.”
Because of the seriousness of the incident, an air ambulance was requested, along with a Coastguard helicopter. The latter was stood down once the Great North Air Ambulance Service’s Helimed 58 had arrived at the site.
The spokesperson said: “Keswick sent two vehicles with other team members going direct.
“The journey up the valley was made much slower and more difficult by some very inconsiderate roadside parking.
“The casualty was assessed on scene then stretchered to the helicopter and airlifted to Carlisle hospital.”
Twenty Keswick MRT volunteers were involved in the incident for just over 2¼ hours.
Rod Hepplewhite
16 August 2022I accept that there is no real excuse for inconsiderate parking but by the same token the LDNPA aren't exactly helping things by refusing applications for car parks in tourist hotspots - recent refusals at Coniston and on the outskirts of Portinscale come to mind. Where do the LDNPA expect the cars park? They encourage visitors to the Lake District and must allow for parking provision. The current bus service provision is wholly inadequate and very expensive, which only encourages people to stick with their car.
Jeff Breen
16 August 2022The farmer at Seathwaite has put boulders along the roadside where people used to park on the hardstanding on the left near the farm. Now people park lower down on the grass damaging it and churning it up. People also used to park nose into the wall but now many park side on reducing the space available by a large amount. The placing of the boulders to stop parking seems a backward step, but the NPA (as usual) does nothing to resolve the issue. I know its not Langstrath but the removal of roadside parking in the Lakes adds to the problem.
James
17 August 2022"LDNPA encourage visitors to the Lake District."
Is that 'encouragement' needed, by the LDNP and tourist bodies in many other parts of the country.
Given a job to 'promote', they probably can't see (don't want to see) that in many areas their job is done.
Liz
17 August 2022The farmer at Seathwaite has opened his fiele (the campsite) for parking at £5 per day - less than most car parks in the Lakes charge for a full day's parking. Seems the obvious solution.
Either people are not aware of this (maybe a well placed sign further back down the road would inform people), or maybe people are just too cheap to fork out £5 to keep the road clear.