Deaths on Fells Rise

Article from the News & Star

The number of walkers and climbers dying while out in the Lake District soared by 50 per cent last year, while rising call-outs put a strain on mountain rescuers.

Teams of volunteers were scrambled to the scene of emergencies 464 times during 2008 to help 577 people – 31 of whom died.

An official report shows call-outs rose by 10 per cent, with the number of deaths climbing from 21 in 2007.

Rescue chiefs said it was hard to isolate a reason for the rise other than an apparent upsurge of interest in exploring the Lake District.

The figures emerged only weeks after Cumbria’s top policeman paid tribute to the work of mountain rescue teams. Chief Constable Craig Mackey said at least one team was called out every day during the first week of February as walkers enjoyed trekking in heavy snow.

Richard Warren, chairman of the Lake District Mountain Rescue Association, said there had been a major campaign to cut avoidable rescues last year. Safety videos, leaflets, posters and books were distributed in Cumbria and outside the county.

“However, this does not appear to have halted the trend with incidents up by a further 10 per cent and a significant increase in the number of fatalities,” he stated in a report.

“It is difficult to put a finger on why it is happening, but there does appear to be an increase in the public’s interest in the challenge of the great outdoors.

“These increases are putting a severe strain on our team members and their ability to make the necessary commitment and sacrifice.

“(They are) turning out for rescue after rescue, sometimes two or three in a single day.”

More than 23,000 man hours were spent responding to call-outs last year. Slips, falls, people becoming lost and walkers failing to turn up on time were the most common circumstances that led to operations being launched.

Be careful up there folks. Make sure you're properly equipped for the trip and be prepared for the weather to change in an instant. A lovely warm day can turn bitterly cold on the tops, a fresh breeze become a gale and up on the top is no place to discover that those trendy trainers are bloody useless on the trail.