- Incident
- 26 in 2025
- Type
- Full Callout — Injured & Medical
- Location
- Scafell
- Weather
- Clear, Cold, Dry
- Other Agencies
- Air Ambulance, Coastguard, Cumbria Police, Helimed 58, Rescue 199 from Prestwick
- Diagnosis
- Multiple Injuries
The team was called out on Monday afternoon by Cumbria Police about a serious incident involving a fallen climber. Two climbers were ascending a crag on Sca Fell, when the lead climber took a large fall. He was seriously injured, unable to communicate and ended the fall suspended on the rope below the second climber. Fortunately, the second climber was uninjured and still secure on the crag, but urgently needed assistance.
The team was very quickly called out and help was requested from a Coastguard helicopter. Helimed 58 also responded quickly. As the team assembled at Brackenclose and prepared the large inventory of rope rescue, medical and other equipment required for a hugely challenging technical rescue, Rescue 199 arrived overhead. With the backup plan to uplift team members high on Sca Fell, saving significant time and effort for team members to get close to the scene, the crew of Rescue 199 took a close look at whether a winch rescue was possible. After some time carefully assessing the risks to all involved, an attempt to winch was made. We don’t normally use superlatives, but with some truly amazing and heroic flying skills and teamwork, they managed to both access and then safely winch the climber directly into the helicopter from his suspended position on the end of the rope. A transfer to Helimed 58 was then completed to allow advanced medical care to be given, before then flying to a suitable hospital.
With the most urgent rescue completed by the helicopter crews, the rescue of the second climber still remained on what is one of the most inaccessible points of the Wasdale MR area. With the offer of further uplift assistance from Rescue 199 still a possibility (but not a guarantee), some members of the team set off on foot with heavy loads to the top of Sca Fell. However, after a refuel of the helicopter, the remaining ten team members were very grateful to get the lift up, comfortably overtaking the hill party. At this point, the technical rope rescue began, with several hundred metres of rope and countless other pieces of equipment assuring the safety of both team members and the climber. After some time, in very cold and windy conditions at height, the first rescuer was able to be lowered to the climber. She was able to very bravely and ably assist the rescue, doing most of the work herself to climb and scramble back to safe ground.
After de-rigging, the long walk down to Brackenclose was completed safely and the climber re-united with awaiting family members. The team travelled back to base and spent considerable time checking equipment for damage and resetting the vehicles, before a debrief and finally being stood down to return home.
Our thanks to both helicopter crews, and especially the crew of Rescue 199, whose actions brought the time down for the injured climber getting to definitive medical care by many hours.
We wish both climbers well and offer our very best wishes that the injured climber recovers fully from his injuries.
Incident started at 14:55 and ended at 01:49 making 10.9 hrs in total. There were 26 Wasdale team members involved and the incident occured at NY207068. Total rescuer hours: 283
