Rescue Pictures Page - Broken Leg 17 January 2004

updated 24 October 2004 - cheque presentation of  £1615 to the team.

Full details of the rescue follow this post script

As a result of the rescue, Marge Wilson who partners John Hosfield (the casualty) in sequence dancing, decided it would be a good idea to raise funds for the team by holding a Sequence Dance night at the Marchon Club, Whitehaven, with all proceeds going to the team.  It was held on Saturday 16th October 2004 and raised a massive £1615.00 for the team.  The MC's for the evening were Allan and Elsie Caine.

The cheque was presented to Julian Carradice, Team Leader on Sunday 24th October outside the Beacon, overlooking Whithaven harbour.  The following photographs commemorate the event.  Click on the photographs to enlarge.

(from left to right)  Richard Longman (team treasurer); Elsie Caine (sequence dancing leader); Allan Caine (sequence dancing leader & Allerdale councillor); Julian Carradice (team leader); John Hosfield (fully recovered casualty); Marge Wilson (event organiser); Richard Warren (team member)

4/4: 17/1/04 (1500 hrs) - Saturday

The team were called by the police to respond to a call for help from a male walker in his early 60's who had slipped and injured his ankle whilst walking on the Overbeck to Dorehead path.  He was found by a passing walker who used his mobile phone to raise the alarm.  The injured person who was a local man, had tried text messaging SOS with accurate details of his location to '999' but he was laying in an area of weak signal.  The passing walker took his phone to a higher position on the mountain to get the signal and raise the alarm.  Interestingly, if you look at the photograph of where the accident happened you will be surprised that there was no signal.  The casualty had set off that day to walk Yewbarrow and then on around the tops.  When he got to the second summit of Yewbarrow he saw black storm clouds in the distance so wisely retraced his steps back down to the valley.  Rather than just return to the car park he decided to drop down to the lower path which runs alongside the beck.  He had only descended 10 metres down the wet grassy slopes when he slipped and fractured his leg. 

The injured leg was immobilized in an inflatable splint and after suitable anesthesia, the casualty was carried down to Overbeck to be taken to West Cumberland Hospital by ambulance.  The following photos give a good appreciation of the numbers of team members required to effect a rescue of this nature, relatively close to the road.  The incident was close at around 1730 hrs.  The walker had sustained a nasty double fracture of his lower right leg which required steel pinning.  When visited in hospital two days later he was comfortable but resigned to a long recovery period. [Interestingly another local walker had fractured her ankle the following day (Sunday) and was rescued by Cockermouth MRT.  She was recovering from her ordeal in the next room to our Wasdale casualty]

The purpose of the following set of photographs is to give you, the reader, an appreciation of what is involved in a typical rescue of a lower limb sprain or fracture.  

		Time - Callout + 45 minutes  The team doctor has been on scene for about 20 minutes along with another member of the team.  It took 15 to 20 minutes for this pair of advance party team members to reach the casualty site from the Overbeck car park, located just out of sight by the lakeside. The team doctor and casualty are warm inside the bivy tent.  The casualty has already been given anesthetic and his leg is secure within the inflatable splint.  The back up team members are putting the two halves of the bell stretcher together ready for the carry down.
The location of the casualty was well below the snow line (300 m) and in warm afternoon sunshine, but even so after a very short time the coldness is upon you.  The casualty had managed to crawl onto a plastic survival bag which helped to keep him dry.  He could not get inside it for fear of sliding down the hillside.  There was no mobile phone signal from this location even though you could easily see the road and the coast.
		Time - Callout + 60 minutes  The casualty is now ready to be carried off - he is inside a very warm (sheepskin equivalent) lined casualty bag.  The team member at the head of the stretcher and other standing members are acting as anchor/belays to prevent the stretcher, which is on skids, moving downhill whilst being prepared for evacuation.
Time - Callout + 1hr 5 minutes  Ready to go, it requires 10 team members (ideally) to effect a carry / sledge down.  1 at each corner by  the carrying handles.
		Time - Callout + 1hr 10 minutes  To provide additional safety, the stretcher is tied to a back rope which is belayed (anchored) to a suitable rock and paid out as the stretcher party move down the mountain.
Stretcher party getting ready for the sledging. Back rope being tied to the head of the stretcher with a bowline knot.  The easiest route down the nose is on the Red Pike side of the wall thereby avoiding having to lift the stretcher over the stile seen in the background.
		Time - Callout + 1hr 15 minutes  Sledging the casualty down the grassy slope.  Note that the photo is blurred as it was taken on the move.
Time - Callout + 1hr 25 minutes  Darkness is quickly falling as the stretcher party get onto level ground.  Yewbarrow rises up in the background
		Time - Callout + 1hr 45 minutes  Darkness now upon us as we wait for the ambulance which arrived 5 minutes after this photo was taken.

Page created 18/1/04