KESWICK Mountain Rescue Team a Registered Charity Number 509860
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KESWICK Mountain Rescue Team A Registered Charity Number 509860 Annual Report 2011 Introduction www.keswickmrt.org.uk Grisedale Pike Venus Griffiths Website homepage Welcome to the 2011 Annual Report of For more information about the Team, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. see www.keswickmrt.org.uk This is a record of the Team’s activities in 2010. Please support the Team through the links from the website to The Team operates in the area shown on the map on page 2. The Charities Aid Foundation and JustGiving. Sometimes the Team is needed elsewhere. And see “Please support us” on pages 38 and 39. Thanks Photographs The painting has been donated by Venus Griffiths. All photographs used in this report The framed original is for sale to the highest bidder. have been contributed It may be viewed at Derwent Frames, High Hill, Keswick. by Keswick Mountain Rescue Team members. All proceeds to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team 2011 President: Mike Nixon MBE Deputy Team Leaders: Chris Gillyon, Roy Henderson Chris Higgins, Simon Hodgson Chairman: Alan Prescott Medical Officer: Dr Tim Hooper Secretary: Paul Cheshire Training Officers: Steven Hepburn, Nick Jones Treasurer: lan Wallace Radio Officer: Alan Prescott Spooney Green House Transport Officer: Allan Alcock Spooney Green Lane, Equipment Officers: Richard Gale, Nick Jones Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4PJ Base Officer: Paul Carter Team Leader: Mark Hodgson Social Secretary: Elly Whiteford Committee: Fiona Boyle, Paul Horder Report Editor: Peter Little Secretary (Meetings & Minutes): Allan Alcock Retired Chris Higgins Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Nick Ogden Stephen Allen Handyman Mark Hodgson Project Director Secretary (Membership): Donald Angus Retired Simon Hodgson Builder Fiona Boyle Paul Barnes Fire Fighter Dr Tim Hooper General Practitioner Secretary (Talks & Visits): Jan Beedham Laboratory Technician Katharine Horder Head Teacher Graeme Wilson Martin Bell Paramedic Paul Horder Retired Fiona Boyle Lecturer Robin Humphreys Retired Secretary (Correspondence): Paul Carter Production Manager Andy Jones Guest House Proprietor Karen Sturgess Paul Cheshire Chartered Engineer Nick Jones Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Dr Adrian Clifford General Practitioner Peter Little Pharmacist Neil Dowie Hotelier Malcolm Miller Retired Donald Ferguson Retail Assistant Phil Newton Retired ([email protected]) Chris Francis Fire Service Mike Nixon Retired Keswick MRT Headquarters, Richard Gale Systems Engineer Nick Ogden Outdoor Equipment Technician Lakeside Car Park, Lake Road, Chris Gillyon Managing Director David Pratt Teacher Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5DJ Geoff Gilmore Leisure Pool Manager Alan Prescott Senior Manager Rob Grange Photographer Norman Pretswell Retail Assistant Mick Guy Retired Jocky Sanderson Outdoor Pursuits Instructor David Harbourne Rope Access Supervisor Brian Spencer Retired Chris Harling Managing Director Dr Tom Stenhouse General Practitioner Sean Hayes Retail Assistant Karen Sturgess Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Collection Box Co-ordinator: Roy Henderson National Trust Warden Ian Wallace Retired Brian Spencer Scott Henderson National Park Ranger Elly Whiteford Technical Officer Daresfield, Chestnut Hill, Keswick, Steven Hepburn Carpenter Graeme Wilson Site Inspector Cumbria CA12 4LS See page 37 1 Keswick Mountain Rescue Team CALLOUT STATISTICS Area of Responsibility 140 Callouts, 10 fatalities DAYS OF THE WEEK 2010 35 Caldbeck 30 25 Bassenthwaite 20 15 Skiddaw Blencathra 10 Threlkeld Braithwaite 5 KESWICK Derwentwater INCIDENTS 0 M T W T F SS MONTHS OF THE YEAR 2010 20 18 Thirlmere Grange 16 Helvellyn 14 12 Seathwaite 10 8 6 Scafell Pike 4 NTS 2 INCIDE 0 Map taken from maps.google.co.uk J F M A M J J A S O N D 2 A Record Year Team Leader’s Report 011 64 Yea rs 1947 - 2 All rescues undertaken by the Team are notable for our casualties, with many individual rescues sticking in the minds of Team Members. This year is no exception. We have had 22 rescues involving cragfast or rock-climbing incidents – several of which are directly attributable to the winter conditions at the beginning and the end of the year. We’ve had 2 incidents involving avalanches with one very lucky Incident 78 casualty being swept some 700 feet down a gulley and walking away, somewhat shakily, but without serious 2010 saw the Team respond to 140 rescues in the year, have additional responsibilities as officers of the team – injury. We’ve had a thunder storm where several parties 4 more than last year making 2010 again the busiest here to make sure everything runs smoothly behind the of casualties were struck by lightning and were rescued year in the Team’s 64 year history. In addition scenes. Behind every team member there is a family by the combined efforts of Keswick and Cockermouth to the 140 rescues we received 25 ‘alerts’ that did and friends who in turn support the team members. To MRTs and a Royal Navy Sea-King helicopter. We’ve not require a team callout, but did take considerable all of you I wish to say a huge thank-you and apologise also had many lower leg injuries to deal with along additional time to resolve. Sadly, the Team dealt with for all the missed evenings, nights, days out, shopping with searches, mountain bike incidents and medical incidents involving 10 fatalities during the year. trips (?) etc. In addition, to team members’ employers incidents. During the year there were 18 days when we especially in these current financial circumstances – our had 2 callouts in the day and 6 days with 3. We worked To be a member of such a busy team takes a huge thanks for releasing team members as often as with Sea-King helicopters from the RAF and Royal commitment from all team members, many of whom you do. Navy on 21 occasions and Air Ambulances on 22. 3 Team Leader’s Report The Team was heavily involved in 2 non-mountain The Team is populated by members with a huge range incidents in the year. Firstly, 35 members attended the of skills and many years experience; indeed there are scene of the fatal A66 coach-crash and provided first currently 5 team members who have personally been on aid treatment and evacuation assistance along with more than 1000 rescues each since our fully accurate marshalling the helicopters at the scene. Many team records began in 1983. Some of the 5 have also been members have, or know friends with, children at in the Team since before 1983 so will have done Keswick School and this incident was very close to considerably more than our records suggest. It is now home for many. Not long afterwards, we were called to tradition in the Team that as a member breaks the assist with many miles of roadside verges and adjacent thousand, they buy the beer for the rest of the Team fields searching as part of the police investigations into – we’re looking forward to several more members the West Cumbria shootings. Neither of these incidents achieving this milestone over the next couple of years. is anything like what we would call ‘core-business’ but each was dealt with professionally, efficiently A plea, however, to the ‘less well prepared casualty.’ and sympathetically; another measure of the skills, If the Team is called out to search for you or your party effectiveness and adaptability of the Team. because you didn’t have a map, compass, torch, spare clothing, food etc and we spend all night looking We also work very closely with Cumbria Police, Cumbria for and finding you – perhaps cold, wet, wiser, but Fire & Rescue and North West Ambulance Service, with none-the-less uninjured – then the Team could be less Chamonix training all our rescues involving at least 1 agency in addition well able to respond to a casualty the next day. This to ourselves and often 3 or 4, especially if we are casualty may have sustained very serious injuries and supported by helicopters. All this interagency working need our undivided attention and it would be the same takes a lot of time outside the actual rescues to try team members who responded to both incidents. We and establish and maintain the best working practices. are still surprised that many members of the public This is not always easy as differing agencies can don’t recognise that the Team is manned entirely by have differing requirements driven by their reporting volunteers who all have day jobs, and we don’t work a indicators. The benefits of really good interagency shift system! Please take the time to properly plan your working, however, have again been recognised with the day out and make sure you have the right equipment in award of the Cumbria Fire & Rescue Community Award your rucksack. ‘for the excellent manner in which all the emergency services worked together in the November 2009 floods.’ We would like to take this opportunity to wish all We certainly hope that the Environment Agency will have our casualties a speedy recovery and don’t let your funding secured and the flood defence works complete experiences put you off venturing back into the valleys before we get to the next 1 in 50 or 1 in 1000 year and mountains of the Lake District; they are a great events. This is the second successive year the Team place to be! have achieved this award. Mark Hodgson Canada training 4 One Hundred and Forty Call-outs in 2010 Incident Report 2010 Edited from Team records by Peter Little 1 1 January 13.19 7 6 January 13.55 Brundholme House area, Latrigg Robin Hood, Bassenthwaite A walker had slipped and dislocated her The Team helped the Ambulance Service by shoulder. The ambulance service asked recovering a vehicle from a snow-covered the Team for help in reaching the location. hill after its crew had tried to access a A local farmer gave assistance with the use remote property to take a medical case to of his tractor.