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05
Jan
Harrogate walkers ‘lucky to survive’ Lake District rescue
A group of walkers from Harrogate had to be rescued this morning after climbing England’s highest mountain in the snow.
The group of men in their 20s drove to the Lake District at midnight despite the amber snow warning.
They set off on foot at 4am from Seathwaite up Scafell Pike and made the summit but got lost on their way down and became cold, wet and feared for their safety.
They had no mobile or Wi-Fi signal but managed to request help using an iPhone emergency system that can send an SOS via satellite.
Cumbria Police summoned help from Wasdale Mountain Rescue at 9.23am and the volunteer rescuers managed to locate the group in a remote area in Upper Eskdale.
According to Wasdale Mountain Rescue’s incident report, the walkers had said they were close to hypothermia.
The report added:
They were not equipped properly for full winter conditions on the high fells, and were also inexperienced. At times they were waist-deep in snow. To their credit, they fully acknowledged their misjudgment in this attempt and were humble and thankful for the help, fully aware this could have ended with a much worse outcome.
Pic: Wasdale Mountain Rescue
A coastguard helicopter from Prestwick also joined the operation.
Richard Warren, from Wasdale Mountain Rescue, told the BBC:
It was quite a serious incident. They were lucky to survive.
I suspect they're extremely embarrassed. I think they've learnt a lesson. It could have ended up as another tragedy for the Lake District.
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