Striding Edge, the challenging ridge leading to the summit of England’s third highest mountain, Helvellyn, was again the scene of a rescue effort on Thursday.
The Patterdale Mountain Rescue team were called into action just after 1pm by the North West Ambulance Service to help a woman who had tripped while traversing the ridge and sustained a suspected dislocated knee in the fall.
Due to the location of the incident, on steep and rocky ground, and the type of injury, a Coastguard rescue helicopter was called in to provide a swift and more comfortable evacuation for the casualty.
The Patterdale team made their way on foot from their base to the accident scene. A helicopter arrived from Prestwick and, after a winch operator was lowered to the site on Helvellyn, the casualty was treated and winched on board to be flown to hospital for further treatment.
A team spokesman thanked the helicopter team for their swift response, saying that without their assistance it would have been a long, hot and uncomfortable carry down to the roadside.
The rescue was attended by 11 team members and took just under three hours to complete.
The Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team supports the emergency services by providing a rescue service for those in danger in the hills and valleys around Ullswater. They are called out by the Police, Fire and Ambulance services, and by HM Coastguard for rescues on the lake.
A former British Military Officer, Eddie went on to study History and then Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University. A keen outdoorsman, he has co-written several books on Outdoor Survival and Wild Camping. Now living in Penrith, Ed is a keen fellrunner.
