Lake District rescuer has 'life-changing injuries' after fall

A mountain rescuer suffered "life-changing injuries" while trying to help a camper breaching Covid rules in the Lake District is in a stable condition.

The 60-year-old fell 500ft (150m) when his team was called out to Red Screes, above Kirkstone Pass, on Saturday.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue said the volunteer faced a "long road to recovery" but was in "good spirits".

Two men, who had travelled to the Lake District from Leicester and Liverpool, have been fined £200 each.

Rescuers were deployed to the scene, between Patterdale and Ambleside, after police were alerted at about 00:30 GMT on Saturday that one of the campers, a 47-year-old man with a "pre-existing" medical condition, was ill with chest pains.

However, during the rescue, the volunteer fell down "steep ground" and suffered injuries including facial and spinal fractures.

Team leader Mike Rippon described it as a "truly avoidable accident" and said despite warnings for the public not to travel it was "disappointing" that people continued to do so.

Of his injured colleague, he added: "He's in good spirits, probably unaware of the operations that will be required to improve his condition.

"From a team leader point of view, it's that dreaded call over the radio with a team member suddenly saying we've lost a team member or there's an injury occurred.

"It's turning a rescue into another rescue."

He thanked other agencies who came to help, including the Coastguard helicopter which had attended amid "pretty rubbish" weather conditions.

The rescue volunteer was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital. The camper was taken to Carlisle Infirmary with chest pains but was later discharged.

Cumbria Police said the £200 fines issued to the men who had travelled to the area was the "only legal penalty available" in the circumstances.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Slattery said the visitors had breached Covid rules by travelling together in the same vehicle and camping on the fells.

"I'm sure they are extremely remorseful for their actions," he added.

"Set Covid aside, anybody who ventures up in the fells can have an accident and anybody who has accident can't foresee what was likely happen to the mountain rescue.

"That doesn't lessen the anger and the frustration that people feel about this but they had no way of knowing that would happen.

"The county is still under an enormous amount of strain and we are asking people not to take unnecessary risks, to stay low level if they can, stay local when they are exercising.

"This isn't the time to be taking risks."

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