Number of fell rescues drops

Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team carry a walker to safety Credit: Langdale and Ambleside MRT

The number of deaths on fells in the Lake District almost halved last year.

Figures released by the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Team also show that call outs in general are down.

Seventeen people lost their lives in 2011 compared to 30 in 2010.

The mountain rescue teams were called a total of 424 times last year. There were almost 600 the year before.

Richard Warren, Chair of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, said teams across the county had worked hard to bring the numbers down.

Although fell rescues have decreased the number of water rescues has gone up.

The tourism season starts in earnest this week and with snow predicted for the tops the message from the mountain rescue teams is to be prepared.