Rescuers reported that a stretcher box high in the Lake District fells had been plundered.
Visitors to the Mickledore property also left a disposable BBQ and other trash.
The metal container, located 840m (2,756ft) up on Scafell Pike’s sides, carried crucial rescue equipment and was prominently marked with the mountain rescue insignia.
Amid a surge in callout numbers on and around Scafell Pike in May and across the region more broadly, the mountain rescue stretcher box at Mickledore, between Sca Fell and Scafell Pike, was ransacked over the bank holiday weekend just gone, with some kit now missing and other contents strewn around the fell and left open to the elements, along with a used disposable barbecue and other items,” said Richard Warren, chairman of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association
He stated that Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team volunteers had already been up to clean up the mess and check the rescue kit is operational. “At the same time, the team has added some simple signage to the stretcher box to help direct hikers in bad weather and, hopefully, reduce callouts from lost walkers.”
The nearest road is three hours’ walk away from the box.
“We have seen a surge of callouts this year since Easter,” said Penny Kirby, a team leader of the local rescue squad. May has been exceptionally busy, maybe due to a mix of three bank holidays, people vacationing more at home due to the high expense of abroad vacations, and the overall rising cost of living.
“The last thing our team of volunteers wants to do is repair rescue equipment and clean up disposable barbecue waste.” We are really worried about the impact of so many callouts on our team members, their families, and their jobs.”
Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team has already responded to 70 calls this year, with 27 of those occurring in May. In the previous year, there were 42 callouts before the end of May, but only five in the month of May itself.
Up to the end of May 2021, the crew dealt with 19 callouts, with five in May. The hectic summer season is yet ahead, according to team leaders.
“We recently decided, in consultation with the Lake District National Park Authority and the National Trust, to add some signage to the Mickledore stretcher box to help lost walkers find their way safely down the fells and reduce callout numbers,” Ms Kirby said.
“Roughly 60% of our Wasdale team callouts are on Scafell Pike, and in recent years, 60% of those have been for lost or missing walkers.” Anything we can do to assist them in self-rescue and limit the number of times we are called is worth a shot.”
The number of callouts for teams around the Lake District has increased significantly. “The highest year on record for callouts across the region was 2021, with 681 total callouts across the year, 141 of those by the end of May,” Mr Warren added.
“By the end of May, the total number of callouts this year is 261 – an 85 percent increase over 2021.”
The mountain rescue service in the United Kingdom is supplied by voluntary volunteers who have been trained to professional standards. The teams are inviting the public to visit this page for tips on preparation for a walk in the hills and lowering the high demand for rescue generated by walkers being lost or missing.
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.
