Holme Valley Mountain Rescue team sees record number of call outs in 2020
Video report by Jon Hill
The Holme Valley Mountain Rescue team has said they have faced a record number of emergencies in the hills despite the country only just emerging from lockdown.
The team usually have around 35 calls a year, but faced 71 emergencies in 2020 and have already been called to 46 incidents this year.
The volunteer rescue force is also facing a funding crisis as public donations have dropped by a quarter since the pandemic began and charity events have also had to be cancelled.
Seamus Quinn, who has been a member of Mountain Rescue for 30 years, said: "Over the last year, it's been crazy, 71 call-outs last year and this year to date 46 call-outs and it's only just stopped snowing."
Kayleigh Gunner, who has worked with the team for eight years, said that people aren't being careless but it is just the volume of extra people out and about taking their exercise during lockdown.
On fundraising, she said: "Yes, everything we enjoy doing in the outdoors got stopped so that puts a lot of races on hold which is our only source of revenue as a charity and volunteers."
To find out more about the Holme Valley Mountain Rescue team visit their website.