'Tidal wave' of calls to Lake District's mountain rescue teams

Cumbria Police and mountain rescue teams have seen a 'tidal wave' of avoidable rescues and is asking members of the public to be more prepared when venturing out onto the fells.

Since last Friday, 11 out of 19 call-outs involved groups that were unprepared or ill-equipped for bad weather.

One of the missions on Saturday night took 12 hours to complete and involved five rescue teams in 'forecasted atrocious conditions' on Scafell Pike - England's highest peak.

 Chairman of LDSAMRA, Richard Warren, said the rain and wind caught out caught out many people over the weekend, with Cumbria Police also commenting that many are dialing in ‘999’ with as little as 1% battery remaining on their mobile phones.

Richard said: "This means that after the initial call their battery dies and the mountain rescue team cannot get back to them which makes finding them a bigger challenge requiring more numbers of the volunteers.

"Many are relying on smart phone mapping apps which drain batteries and no back up."

The teams fear the new quarantine rules on overseas travel may make it worse. Richard said: "North Wales is experiencing a similar problem and we are sure that the same is being felt across many of the UK’s outdoor holiday destinations, great for the economy but a real issue for the volunteer rescue teams."

What can I do as a new or regular visitor to the Lakes to help volunteer teams?

• Exercise within your limits and avoid taking risks.

• Be well equipped for all weathers and conditions.

• Learn how to navigate, take a waterproof map and a compass, don’t rely on smart phone technology.

• Take a torch.

• Take a power bank battery charger.

• Be kind to our volunteers and respectful to our emergency service, our rural communities and to our farmers.

More information can be found on www.ldsamra.org.uk and Adventure Smart UK.