Mountain rescue urge people not to be put off getting help

Mountain rescue teams have urged people not to be put off asking for help over fears of criticism on social media.

The Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association (LDSAMRA), which represents 12 teams in Cumbria, said rescue volunteers "would never judge".

Social media users were asked by one rescue team to "refrain from criticism" as it "could indirectly prevent others from asking for help".

LDSAMRA chairman Richard Warren said the teams are there "to save people".

"I met with a rescue team leader a couple of weeks ago. They had rescued two ladies who were concerned about ringing 999.

"They were scared of being criticised.

"I chatted to a man the other day who said if he injured himself he would rather crawl than call the team out of embarrassment.

"That's the last thing we want".

Mr Warren said most people who enjoy walking in the mountains are well-prepared and like to "push the boat out".

"We all like to take risks, there's nothing wrong with that. Just sometimes people get themselves into real difficulty.

"There are other people who haven't got a clue and shouldn't be up there. These are people who don't know about the mountains and go out blindly.

Preparing properly and weighing up potential risks is "a difficult balancing act", he added.

Mountain rescue teams often post about their activities on social media as a way of "raising awareness" about their work.

But posts about those rescue operations can sometimes trigger criticism on social media, with users blaming people for being unprepared or failing to anticipate likely hazards.

However, for every negative comment from the public, there are hundreds that are supportive, Mr Warren said.

"People should not not call us because they're embarrassed about the comments that might appear on Facebook," he said.

"We're not out to embarrass people who get into difficulty.

"We know there are people out there who will always criticise - whether it's because we rescue animals, or people should have been better prepared.

"The majority of season fell walkers know people sometimes have accidents."

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