In the news

December 29, 2024 20.54

On Sunday 29th December at 20:54 Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was contacted by Cumbria Police with a report that a man was possibly in trouble on Helvellyn.  He had been reported missing by his wife who was at home but had been tracking his progress and noticed that his position hadn’t moved for a few hours.  Contact was made with the informant and it was established that the man was probably out on his bicycle with his black labrador; this assumption was confirmed when the Police were able to confirm that his vehicle was still at the holiday property in the Grasmere area where he had been staying.

The Team was called out, as were the Keswick and Langdale Ambleside Teams, to search the various routes up to the location being communicated by the man’s phone, close to the summit of  Helvellyn. Three search dogs and their handlers also joined the search.  A Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter travelled down from Prestwick and made numerous attempts to get into the area but, due to low cloud and high winds, they were unsuccessful.

At about 01:00 in the morning, battling atrocious weather conditions, Patterdale and Keswick Team members managed to reach the location identified and found the man’s bike and phone, close to the edge of the summit plateau.  However there was no sign of the man or his dog. At around 01:30, with weather conditions deteriorating further, the difficult decision was made to call off the search until first light for the safety of the Team members involved. The last party cleared the fell at about 03:30.

On Monday 30th December at 08:00hrs members from Cockermouth, Penrith,Kirkby Stephen and Patterdale Rescue Teams were briefed on the incident and made their way up to the Helvellyn summit plateau again.  A rope system was set up to enable them to descend the headwall down towards Red Tarn and search the area where the man was suspected to be. A Coastguard SAR Helicopter again attempted to access the area to assist with the search but due to the weather conditions was still unable to help and landed at Patterdale.

In the late morning it was confirmed that the dog had been found alive and well on a ledge on the headwall and shortly afterwards rescuers lowered down to the area found the man and confirmed that he had died as a result of the injuries sustained in his fall of around 180 metres.

The man’s body was lowered by stretcher to the back of Red Tarn, then carried down to Greenside and transported back to Patterdale Base where it was handed over to Cumbria Police.

The whole incident took 20 hours to complete over two days and involved  Patterdale, Keswick, Langdale Ambleside, Cockermouth, Penrith and Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team members, three Lake District Search And Rescue Dogs and two Coastguard SAR helicopters.  In total 68 MRT rescue personnel were involved over the two days.

We would like to send our condolences to the man’s family and friends and our thanks to the various Teams and SAR Helicopter crews who assisted with the search and subsequent recovery.