A FAMILY had to be rescued yesterday after getting stuck on an exposed and "dangerous" Lake District fell.

The Lincolnshire family and their black labrador had to be evacuated by roper after becoming stuck at 3.15pm above Broad Stand, a steep craggy descent located on the Eskdale side of Scafell.

Instead of tackling the notorious 10m scramble descent down to the safety of Mickledore Ridge, between Scafell and Scafell Pike, they shouted for help and Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team was called to their aid.

Although it had been a sunny day with clear skies, the darkness was drawing in and two team members soon located the family in the "bitter cold winds" after a "difficult" descent down slippery steep slabs and outcrops from the summit of Scafell.

After warming in a bivvy tent, team members set up a complex rope lowering system which lowered the group one at a time down an 8m vertical drop to safety.

A Wasdale MRT spokeperson said: "The dog was carefully wrapped up in a cargo net before it also had the pleasure of the roped lower."

The group was then helped by the 12-strong team down a one-and-a-half hour descent to the road at the head of Wasdale, reaching it at midnight.

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