- Incident
- 20 in 2002
- Type
- Full Callout —
- Location
- Unknown Location
Call from the police to search for two missing men on Scafell Pike. The two men had left Wasdale Head at 1700 hrs to climb Scafell Pike. When they failed to turn up at their vehicle and waiting friends at the car park the alarm was raised. The informants advised us that the two walkers were not equipped for poor weather and only had limited experience. In addition to the Wasdale team, Keswick Team were called in to assist along with a number of search dogs from SARDA.
Weather conditions were cold and wet with poor visibility due to low cloud. At 0400 hrs, first light, most of the search routes had been covered and by 0630 hrs most team members were off the hill. The situation was re-assessed at the Base and at 0800 hrs the team were re-assembled to carry on the search. Millom rescue team were mobilised along with four more search dogs from the lake District and the RAF Sea King Helicopter from RAF Valley in North Wales.
The two walkers were found at the bottom of Mosedale (between Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass) by a Langdale MRT member and brought to Gosforth. Both were well but extremely wet, tired and cold. One had taken a number of tumble falls but his injuries to hid knee and elbow were minor. The two walkers had become disorientated when coming off the Pike and walked along the ridge to we believe, Esk Hause before descending a gulley into upper Eskdale. They sheltered behind stones and walked out across upper Eskdale at first light.
Incident started at 23:40.