Lakes mountain rescuers 'frustrated' at having to rescue walkers twice (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Lakes mountain rescuers 'frustrated' at having to rescue walkers twice

4:39pm Monday 3rd September 2012 in News By Daniel Orr, Reporter

A SOUTH Lakes’ mountain rescuer has urged people to be prepared for the outdoors after having to search for the same group of walkers twice in less than 24 hours.

Nick Owen, team leader for Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team (MRT), said his fellow volunteers were left ‘angry and frustrated’ after a group of three people they had helped out on Friday got into trouble again on Saturday.

The team, helped by Lakes Search Dogs and Keswick MRT, found the party, who were on a Coast to Coast walk, off-route in Wythburn.

The 75-year-old male in the party suffered a lower leg injury and was advised not to continue.

But when a call came through the following day, it soon became apparent that this same party had got into trouble again, this time near Honister Pass.

They had made many errors, according to Mr Owen, including using a guidebook rather than maps to navigate, and only having one torch.

Mr Owen said: “There might have been slightly more sympathy for the group if this wasn't the second injury - the first having been sustained the previous day and subsequently ignored while taking the decision to continue.

“The party were taken to our base in Ambleside, where the man was examined by paramedics, who took him to hospital for further examination.

“It was expressed in the strongest possible terms that we didn't feel that this party should make any attempts to continue their route, being neither equipped, fit enough, nor capable of making the sensible decisions required.

“It is rare for team members to become angry or frustrated with our casualties, but this was one of those occasions.

“A number of team members removed themselves from the room, because they could no longer listen to the list of excuses for their situation.”