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Warning after woman found collapsed in Yorkshire Dales snow

Cave Rescue Organisation A casualty is transported to an ambulanceCave Rescue Organisation
The woman was rescued by Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) volunteers after she was found suffering from hypothermia

Visitors to the Yorkshire Dales have been warned not to underestimate wintry conditions after a woman was found semi-conscious collapsed in the snow.

The 22-year-old had been on her way to Yordas Cave on Sunday when she passed out in "freezing" weather, according to the Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO).

She was suffering from hypothermia when emergency services arrived.

Jake Stapleton, from the CRO, said: "Don't underestimate the hills. It can be quite wild on the fells."

A total of 23 CRO volunteers helped with Sunday's rescue, which was the charity's 87th this year.

They used a stretcher as a sledge to take the woman to an ambulance.

Mr Stapleton, a civil servant by day, said: "For a decent stretcher-carry you probably need 16 people. It's not easy ground to carry.

"We were lucky it was snowy on Sunday, we could sledge."

Danny Lawson/PA Wire Sheep on snowy hill in Yorkshire DalesDanny Lawson/PA Wire
Jake Stapleton, from the CRO, warned people to be "prepared" if venturing onto fells in the Yorkshire Dales

The woman's friends "did everything right to make her as safe as possible" while they waited for help, Mr Stapleton said.

"She was lying outside on the cold ground. On the hills we had a decent covering [of snow] and it was freezing," he added.

"Lying on the ground for any amount of time is going to start draining the temperature from you."

There were more than five million visits to Yorkshire Dales in 2022, according to the National Park Authority.

Mr Stapleton said: "I would never want to put people off coming to the fells, being outside is fantastic for mental health.

"It's safe if you are prepared for what you are doing and you are within your comfort level."

He called on visitors to carry the correct kit and rely on a map and compass, rather than mobile phones.

"If you dial 999 from the top of a fell it's going to be a while before someone gets to you. You are going to get quite cold.

"Maps and compasses don't run out of batteries. People are using their phone to navigate, putting the obligatory selfie on Snapchat, doing a TikTok, updating everyone.

"If the phone dies on the hill, you haven't got something you can dial 999 with."

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