Mountain rescue plea after walkers saved in storm

Three walkers had to be rescued from England's highest mountain during Storm Lilian.

The walkers became separated while doing a Three Peaks Challenge on Scafell Pike in the early hours of Thursday, with "storm force gusts at height and heavy rain in full swing", Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (WMRT) said.

Two of the walkers were located at the head of a notorious blackspot, Piers Gill, while the other man was found in a car park in a seven-hour rescue.

Mountain rescue members said some gusts risked "blowing them off their feet" and urged people to think twice before heading out when weather warnings had been issued.

The three walkers set off from the valley at 20:00 BST on Wednesday and became separated.

Two of them reported themselves lost to police, and were "thoroughly soaked after their waterproofs having succumbed to the heavy and prolonged rain", WMRT said.

The other walker could not be contacted and the others were concerned for his safety.

Search efforts included support from Duddon and Furness MRT and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs.

Volunteers "safely negotiated challenging weather conditions and rising water levels on the descent to the valley", WMRT said.

There have been multiple accidents and deaths on Scafell Pike which have happened during the descent down a treacherous ravine, known as Piers Gill.

WMRT warned that weather warnings would be more severe on the mountains and advised navigation was "always much more challenging in poor weather".

It urged people to "stick together as a group" if the weather deteriorated and reminded them the "mountain will be there another day".

Follow BBC Cumbria on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].