12:16pm Monday 8th February 2010
A MAN has died after collapsing and falling a short distance while walking on Striding Edge to the summit of Helvellyn.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team members were called to rescue the man, from Billingham, at around 1.20pm on Sunday. He had fallen a short distance towards the end of the ridge, just before the final ascent to the summit of Helvellyn.
The North West Air Ambulance flew six members of the team to the summit of Helvellyn and they descended to the “bad step” area of Striding Edge. A paramedic from the air ambulance, who had been dropped on Striding Edge, also arrived on scene at the same time.
When the team arrived, a passing mountaineer was carrying out CPR and members of the rescue team took over care of the casualty and applied their Automatic Electronic Defibrillator to the casualty. Despite the best efforts of the volunteers, the team doctor pronounced the man dead shortly afterwards.
A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter assisted with the evacuation of the casualty, and later picked up the team and flew them back to the valley.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk