Mountain Rescue in UK – Cockermouth Team's annual report 2014 by Smith+Bell Design

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

AnnualReport2014

www.cockermouthmrt.org.uk

The Team responsible for rescuing people and animals from the Lorton, Loweswater, Buttermere and Ennerdale areas

Founded in 1953 A registered charity. No. 506956

60th Annual Report Team Officials President: Maureen Richardson Vice-Presidents: Dr. Edward Holloway, Mike Thompson Chairman: Steve Brailey Team Leader: Michael Park Secretary: Gwyn Lewis, PO Box 73, Cockermouth CA13 3AE, 01900 827771, gwyn@cockermouthmrt.org.uk Assistant Secretary: Simon Woodbury Treasurer: Jeff Haslam Medical Officers: Dr. Mark Steel, Dr. Jo Grove, Dr. Peter Hemingway, Dr Peter Winterbottom, Dr. Tom Gallagher

Assistant Team Leaders: Steve Brailey, Chris Cookson, Andrew McNeil Radio Officer: Richard Greenwood Quartermasters: John Bulman, Neil Connolly, Jim Coyle, Phil Gerrard, Simon Hunter, Andrew McNeil, Martin Pickavance, Derek Tunstall Collecting Box Co-ordinator: Derek Tunstall MBE Auditor: Gibbons & Co. Honorary Members: Maurice Anderson, George Williams

Call-outList Abbot, Chris ............................Bank Manager (Retired) Blanden, Dave ......................Building Surveyor Brailey, Steve ..........................Local Government Officer Bulman, John ........................Health & Safety Advisor Butler, Russell ......................Teacher Connolly Laura ....................Physiotherapist Connolly, Neale ....................Outdoor Instructor Cookson, Chris ....................I T Developer Cousins, Ian ............................Software Developer Coyle, Jim BEM....................Estate Manager (Retired) Dawson, Pete ..........................Headteacher Dempster, John MBE ......Headteacher (Retired) Gallagher, Tom......................General Practitioner Gerrard, Phil ..........................Project Team Manager Goodman, Simon................Teacher Graham, Andrew ................Chartered Surveyor Greenwood, Richard ......Chartered Engineer Grove, Jo ....................................General Practitioner Hadwin, Mike ........................Manager Haslam, Jeff ............................ICT Advisor Hellen, Richard ....................Dental Practitioner 2 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

Hemingway, Peter ..............General Practitioner Hunter, Simon ......................Env. Technical Manager Irving, Alan ..............................Maintenance Manager Jones, Steve ............................Dental Surgeon Lewis, Gwyn ............................Operations Manager Liddell, Bob ............................Headteacher (Retired) Lumb, Nick ..............................Outdoor Instructor McNeil, Andrew ..................Building Surveyor Moore James ..........................Support Engineer Moore, Rod MBE ................Engineer (Retired) Otley, Carolyn ........................Comm. Dev. Worker Park, Mike MBE ..................Land Surveyor Pickavance, Martin ..........Teacher Steel, Mark ..............................General Practitioner Steele, Chris ............................Teacher Tunstall, Derek MBE ......Mechanical Fitter Twyford, Paul ........................Solicitor Whitehurst, Steve ............Orthodontist Winterbottom, Peter ......General Practitioner Woodbury, Simon ..............Research Technologist

In 2013 we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Team. The anniversary dinner on 23rd February was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with Team members from years past. It was also a good time to reflect on the fundamental values of mountain rescue, that haven’t changed significantly in 60 years. That is: unpaid volunteers giving their time to train, fundraise for equipment and go to the assistance of people and animals in both mountainous and lowland areas when requested, 24 hours

a day, 365 days a year. It’s not just the casualties we rescue that benefit, it’s the full-time paid services, mainly the police and ambulance services that benefit from our ability to work in a variety of difficult environments and conditions. The list of 61 callouts in 2013 highlights the range of incidents the team is now called to assist with. These include: • A minibus which became stuck on ice on Newlands Pass with four passengers on board. The vehicle wedged against the side of road. • A callout to assist the ambulance service with a casualty found in the River

Derwent near Camerton, sadly a fatality. • A 50-year-old paraglider from Cumbria who had crashed into the fellside on Grasmoor sustaining leg injuries. • A call to assist with vehicles stuck in deep, drifting snow on the A595. • A 48-year-old mountain biker from Newcastle who sustained a leg injury close to Black Sail Youth Hostel, Ennerdale. • A climbing party reported a sheep stuck on Dry Trim Ledge, High Crag Buttermere. • A 19-year-old male fell >>>

Chairman’sreport SteveBrailey CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014● ●33 CMRT

>>> down Sour Milk Ghyll, Buttermere, sustaining shoulder and ankle injuries. • A call to assist the ambulance service and the Great North Air Ambulance evacuate a 60-yearold woman who had fallen from her horse in the countryside towards Carlisle, suffering a head injury and concussion. And finally: • Allerdale Borough Council asked the Team if we could help remove a dumped mattress from the River Derwent in Cockermouth. We did! Over the last 19 years Team member Chris Abbot has fulfilled the role of ‘Development Manager,’ “to help”, as he succinctly puts it, “to help create sufficient income to match the operational and training needs of Cockermouth MRT”. At the end of 2013 Chris decided to stand down from this role, and it reflects great credit on him that the team finds itself in a stronger financial position in 2013 than any time in the last 60 years. On behalf of the team, and particularly the casualties who have benefitted from the equipment that Chris has helped to fundraise for, thank

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you for your hard work. Twenty-thirteen saw an unusual recruitment drive for the Team, unusual as we normally have no problem recruiting new members. The issue that faced us was the elderly age structure in the Team, one that would predictably increase in the future. To try and generate interest from younger potential recruits the Team used Facebook and other media. It was Facebook that generated the most interest with 90 percent of our new aspirant members coming to us via the site. Twenty-fourteen will bring significant changes to the way the rescue helicopter service is operated in England and Wales. Bristow will be running the service instead of the RAF and

The Chief Constable and High Sheriﬀ presented certiﬁcates of commendation to John Hulse, Steve Brailey and Paul Horder for their work on introducing a new callout logging system for Cumbria. helicopters will come from Humberside, Caenarfon, and Prestwick not from Boulmer or Leckonfield. The transfer arrangements to this new service have left us with concerns, particularly about the amount of training planned with mountain rescue teams. The Team, regional body LDSAMRA and, hopefully, the national body MREW will campaign to ensure mountain rescue receives the training it deserves and casualties the service they need. Finally, for their support and assistance in 2013 my thanks go to the police, North West Ambulance Service, Fire and Rescue Service, Maryport Inshore Rescue, the RAF and Air Ambulance helicopter crews, and particularly the wives, husbands, partners, family members and work colleagues who support Team members when callouts or training take them away for sometimes significant periods of time. We couldn’t do our work without you. Steve Brailey

Well that’s 60 years in the bag. I am sure there will be lots of other articles on how we celebrated the Team’s 60th year, so all I want to say on the subject is thank you very much to all the people involved in making the celebrations fantastic. We celebrated it well and it was good to see and chat to all of the ex-Team members and share the stories. Last year was remarkable in that we had 61 callouts, exactly the same number as the previous year. As always, the Team took these callouts in their stride and managed these events with dedication and professionalism. I know there are one or two casualties we have met this year who are very grateful that we turned out to help them in their ‘hour of need’. Not just because we patched them up and got them off the hill safely, but because we showed them compassion, thoughtfulness and, most important of all, we showed them that they can still laugh and giggle even when it does hurt! The two callouts that stand out for me this year are callouts numbers one and nine, as they had such contrasting outcomes.

Mike showing visitors around the Team’s base during an open day to mark the Team’s 60th anniversary. Callout number one was a young lady who had gone missing on New Year’s Eve. There was a number of factors that could have easily led to this incident having a different outcome, but thankfully the Team found her in the very early hours of New Year’s Day, sitting sodden on the banks of a very swollen River Derwent. The

card we received from her after the event certainly reminded me why we do it. Callout number nine was for a man in a party of three who had slipped on a patch of snow and slipped/fallen 200-plus metres into Walker’s Gully below Pillar Rock. This, sadly, had a tragic outcome, with the Team finding and recovering a body as well as having to >>>

TeamLeader’sreport MikeParkMBE CMRT CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014● ●55

>>> help the other members of the party who had just lost a friend and a brother. Everybody loses when these accidents happen, and sometimes all we are left with is the knowledge that we go into the hills because it does still bring us so much joy. So that was 60 years... we may look back in time and consider the last 60 years as the ‘golden age’ of mountain rescue in the Lakes. I say this because I believe that there is a change coming and it may not be an acceptable change to some of us. My understanding is that Cockermouth Mountain Rescue was formed to help people who were injured or lost on the fells. Over 60 years the Team has worked extremely hard to ensure that we don’t just help people but we help them to the very best of our ability, every time, all of the time. To make sure we achieve this, CMRT has always been at the forefront of improving what mountain rescue is. We achieve this through talking to our peers in the other Lakes’ Teams and across the country; by checking out what is done in other countries by bringing in experts from across the world; and by not resting on our laurels, but always seeking to improve and learn from others. So change is not something that CMRT has avoided or shirked, we have openly accepted change and the extra commitment this requires. This is a Team that has taken women into its membership, who have thought about getting a different make of vehicle other than Landrover; who have changed the seating 6 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

The Team takes another callout in its stride.

arrangements in meetings; and have even changed the location of Derek’s air fresheners! However, the change I am alluding to, is the change that our National Representative Body seems hell-bent on imposing on Mountain Rescue. This change comes from a group of people who seem to think that “change whatsoever” is good and “no change” is bad. This group of people are happier copying other organisations’ changes rather than listening to the grassroots of their own organisation. They are happier to accept advice from organisations that have a different purpose and goals, than listen to people from outside and within the mountain rescue community that can see that ‘fine tuning’ is what is required. So why am I telling you this?

Well, it only takes one person to spot the knot that is tied wrong to prevent a tragedy. It only takes one person to hear the shout for help or see the flash of the torch to save a life. And it only takes one voice to say ‘enough is enough, there is another way’. That one voice challenging this change has to be heard by 4,500 other mountain rescuers. That voice will shout loud, but it will be heard better if it comes from one team challenging 47 other teams, or even better from one region challenging eight other regions. So I am asking if you will consider challenging this change with me? Or have I got it all wrong? Or is it not worth the effort? Either way, it’s your decision... I shouted! Mike Park

In 2013 we once again completed the three-yearly ‘Casualty Care’ exam with great success. Thank you to Jo who was lead medical officer this time around and to the external doctors and speakers who helped with the team’s preparation and also on the ‘big day’. During the debrief, the Team members expressed a wish to maintain their skills by making casualty care a feature of all practices this year. Casualty care training was augmented this year through the efforts of Neil Connolly who, in the October half-term, brought Chris and Wayne from ExMed to teach a five-day, intensive ‘Medicine In Remote Areas’ (MIRA) course in the Team base. This is a course designed to teach immediate care and first aid to professionals who work in remote and hostile environments and was adapted to fulfil our needs, and also provided a bit extra – as I am sure the participants will tell you! It was good to see it was a very ‘hands-on’ course with primary survey being practised repetitively to make it automatic. This fresh look at a familiar subject has proved

The dramatic ‘waterfall rescue’. See pages 42-45. extremely popular, and the enthused participants, complete with stethoscopes draped nonchalantly around their necks, are still meeting every Monday to maintain their skills! We picked up many good tips, especially an easy way to load a casualty lying in an awkward position onto the vaccumat. In our practices this year we have looked at the practicalities of the hypothermia protocol especially working with the Auto pulse (a battery powered Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation machine), which allows CPR to be done while the

casualty is being carried on the stretcher. With the routine measurement of body temperature has come the realisation that most of our casualties are mildly hypothermic and, as hypothermia is thought to adversely affect the outcome of trauma, we should be actively rewarming with heat packs, rather than just wrapping casualties in the lovely snug ‘casbag’. With respect to callouts, two particularly stick in my mind for the same reason, namely the ability of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team to get a doctor to a casualty who is lying in a hostile environment. On 4th March, a walker, in a group of three, was reported to have slipped whilst traversing above Walkers Gully, Pillar Rock. At this time, due to a prolonged cold spring, the Lakeland fells were experiencing snow conditions I have only ever seen in the Alps or in Scotland, namely hard neve. This is snow which is frozen iron hard and to avoid slipping, crampons, ice axe and the ability to use them properly, while being comfortable on steep ground, >>>

MedicalOﬃcer’sreport DrMarkSteel CMRT CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014● ●77

>>> are essential. For these reasons the air ambulance medic deferred to the team and the helicopter ferried us up to the base of Pillar Rock so we could get to the poor lad quicker. Sadly he had fallen too far and there was no hope, but we were able to recover his body, make sure his companions did not join his fate, and photograph his fall line for the inquest. On 28th July, a 52-year-old walker from London fell into a steep sided rocky waterfall gully whilst ascending steep ground close to Little Round How, sustaining a serious knee injury. The air ambulance was first on the scene but could only speak to the casualty and throw him some dressings. The Team was able to lower a Team doctor, the paramedic and Team members to the casualty in the dangerous gully. He was treated, loaded onto a stretcher, but, due to precariously loose rock, which prevented helicopter winching, he had to be hauled up the

Looking in on the MIRA course.

waterfall to a location where the helicopter from RN Gannet could fly him to West Cumberland Hospital. Most years I have the privilege of showing the workings of the Team to Newcastle University third year medical students, who come to my surgery in Maryport while attached to the Carlisle Hospitals. This year they had an

unexpected bonus as they were in one of the mobiles with me driving alongside Buttermere on the way back to the base, when we received a callout to a walker with an ankle injury coming off Robinson. We were only about a half mile away and the casualty was only 200 yards up a straightforward path in good weather, so I felt it safe to respond and we were first there! They got to carry some gear, walk up the hill, see the casualty assessment and then the team in action. Martin Pickavance, arriving complete with ‘ultimate warrior’-style headcam, also recorded a post callout interview with one of the excited students for the local evening news, but sadly it was not used. We were all delighted with this serendipitous learning opportunity, so thanks to the unfortunate casualty! I cannot close my report without congratulating Tom Gallagher, our fifth team doctor, who, in 2013, not only became a fully-fledged certified GP but also married Dee, and what’s more, in his alter ego, provided fantastic live music at my fiftieth birthday party which kept us all rocking into the night! Dr Mark Steel

Left: Tom’s wedding. Traditionally the Team provides an ice-axe guard of honour at members’ weddings as happened this year at The Inn on the Lake. 8● ●CMRT CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014

Problems on route to callout 56...

The Team’s radio systems have performed well over the past year, again often in challenging and difficult conditions out in the hills. The decision was made this year to replace the few remaining LDSAMRAsupplied personal radios with the more up-to-date, fully waterproof sets. Hopefully the old radios can be donated to another team. Having a single

type of personal radio also makes the Radio Officer’s job much easier and reduces the number of spares we need to hold. A project has been started to link our transmitter site at Gatesgarth base back to our control room in Cockermouth via an internet link. This will give some back-up to our main radio system and also increase radio coverage into a number of dead spots such as Birtness Comb.

The Toughbook laptop, loaded and running the MR Map software, continues to be a useful piece of kit and is often used to control searches local to the area, in order to provide better search management and therefore make more efficient use of team members’ time. Richard Greenwood

RadioOﬃcer’sreport RichardGreenwood CMRT CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014● ●99

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

Slide Show Presentations 2014 at ButtermereCroft Farm Café

(GR NY17472 16938)

Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 August 4 September 11 September 20.30 20.30 20.30 20.30 20.30 20.30

Admission: Adults £3, Children £1

Come and watch a presentation by a member/s of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue. See how they operate, what is involved in getting a rescue started and see how much training they do. A Search and Rescue Dog may be in attendance on certain dates.Team merchandise will be on sale. Help the volunteers raise £46,000 each year to keep theTeam running. A slide show can be arranged for your organisation. Phone DerekTunstall on 07841 370644 / 01946 861051

www.cockermouthmrt.org.uk

Some of us may have felt younger, others may have felt older, but the words ‘60 and Proud’ on the back of our Team polo shirts certainly told everyone how we felt! Yes, it was a proud year for the Team, and thanks to the generosity of a long-standing supporter, those coming into Cockermouth from the south west were able to enjoy the celebratory floral display on the Lamplugh Road flower bed (see overleaf). A few days into the New Year, responding to a knock on the door, I was confronted by a lady with a big smile who had sold some of her paintings and was as pleased as punch to be able to donate the proceeds, amounting to a few hundred pounds. Well, I thought, what a good start to the year. This was soon followed by the Team being presented, in Manchester, with the National Flame Award, in partnership with International Fire and Rescue Association. In celebration of 60 years service to Mountain Rescue and the Community, we held a very successful Open Day with many attending. A couple were overheard saying they were expecting to spend ten minutes

Chris showing visitors how callouts are organised, during the 60th year celebrations. looking at vehicles – two and a half hours later they were still with us. “So much to see,” was the comment. The previous evening we had enjoyed meeting up with past members and other friends at a celebratory dinner. I thought it would be fitting if Classic FM could join in by playing ‘The Land of Mountain and Flood’, a title encapsulating our activities over the past 60 years. Unfortunately they were unable to play the first choice but did substitute with the Final Movement of Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’.

We continue to attend local shows, which are great to meet and chat with supporters and those interested in our activities. Cockermouth Show gave a closer insight to some, with Mobile 3 having to leave on blue lights in response to a request for assistance. Publication of The Cockermouth Poets’ Anthology including reflections of the 2009 floods, resulted in our being one of the charities to >>>

DevelopmentManager’sreport ChrisAbbot CMRT 11 CMRTAnnual AnnualReport Report2014 2014● ●11

The ﬂoral display on the Lamplugh Road ﬂower bed, in celebration of the Team’s 60 years. >>> benefit from sales, and a big thank you to the local poets. Students from Cambridge and Nottingham Universities, doing a thesis on aspects of the floods, together with groups and schools visited us during the year. We also had the honour of hosting a day visit from members of the medical profession from India Rotary International who were very complimentary on our activities and the philanthropic attitude of everyone in the Team. If you watch the run in to our local ITV News Lookaround, you will see our Mobile 1 in action – (do not blink though!) We also accepted the kind invitation to present the Guard of Honour before the action of the Rugby League World Cup match Scotland v Italy. I felt quite proud that the crowd were cheering us – wrong – it was 12 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

because the players were running past! During the year I had the honour of making a presentation about the Team to the first National Conference of the Ambulance First Responders. Later in the year I was fortunate to attend the Remembrance Service at the

Royal Albert Hall. During part of the service there was a time for thought and reflection on colleagues who assist those in need. I hope Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team play a small part in answering such calls. Thank you. Chris Abbot

The Team was asked by Allerdale Borough Council to provide a Guard of Honour at the World Cup Rugby League games played in Workington.

Jim Hall was born in Chesterle-Street. He studied engineering and later went to Huddesfield Polytechnic where he trained as a teacher. In 1969 he moved to Cockermouth with his wife, June, and son, Peter, as he had obtained a post lecturing at West Cumbria College, Workington. Running was his passion and he was happy to be involved with all athletics, keen to help anyone who needed advice regarding training. It wasn’t long before he got involved with local running clubs and then the Mountain Rescue Team. He was very proud that his son Peter also took up fell running and later joined the Team. Jim joined the Team in 1971, and although not a mountaineer, he was very fit. The Team soon took advantage of his engineering skills too. His first task was to create a portable free-standing radio aerial. He designed drums to fit to pack frames for carrying and storing long ropes, a light that could be either focussed or spread and a mounted generator also on a pack frame. In 1979 he became the Team Treasurer and continued in this post for twenty-five years, overseeing dramatic changes in the Team’s finances, culminating in all the work involved in financing and building the new base. Sometimes after a callout, the Team was given a donation and told, “Buy everyone a drink to say thank you”. It wasn’t usually convenient to go for a drink so the money was passed on to Jim who kept it, quite separate from Team money, and it was used to help fund social occasions. It

‘Doyourun,lad?’ In memory of Vice-President Jim Hall was known as ‘Jim’s Slush Fund’. Jim was very careful and scrupulous in dealing with the Team’s finances, insisting members took great care recording purchases and keeping receipts, only to be embarrassed himself on one occasion. When dressing for a function he found a donation, received months before, in the pocket of his dinner jacket. He’d

not worn the dress suit since. This caused much teasing. When health problems caused him to give up running, Jim became a keen cyclist and he and June were often involved with timing events. He no longer went out on the fells with the Team, but continued his involvement and was later to become a Vice-President. John Dempster

Team Chairman Steve Brailey has vivid memories of Jim and writes: I remember when I first moved to the area and started work at Whitehaven College, the first person I spoke to was Jim. He was in the staff room and when I sat down next to him, there was a long pause and then he said, “Do you run lad?” When I said yes, I was treated to heroic tales of runs in the area such as the Bob Graham Round, the Ennerdale and Wasdale Horseshoes, races I was assured I’d enjoy. He also said that a fit lad like me should join the Rescue Team, which a year later I did with his recommendation and reference. Thanks to Jim’s boundless enthusiasm for life, the fells, running and cycling, plus the encouragement he gave to me and to many others, I can say 23 years later how much I owe to him. Thanks Jim, you will be missed. CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 13

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Anniversaryweekend

16 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

Twenty-thirteen marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team; the initial meeting being held on 23rd February 1953 in a room above the Central Café on Main Street. To celebrate the anniversary, a weekend of events was organised. These began with a formal dinner at Hundith Hill Hotel on Friday 22nd February; well attended by both current and former members, plus guests. After the meal, there was entertainment which began

with a game, not of ‘Mastermind’, but of ‘Mistymind’, where four senior team members were “encouraged” to take part. As they took their seats, they were a little concerned when the introductory music was not the ‘Mastermind’ theme, but that from ‘The Full Monty’! The questions asked were somewhat loaded and some were impossible to answer, such as, “How many stones are there on the pile at Dunmail Raise?” But it was all good fun. This was followed by a ‘Team Song’, written by Mark Steel and then another member, Tom Gallagher, provided music for dancing. On the Saturday, there was an Open Day at the base, for supporters and box holders in the morning and for the

general public in the afternoon. There was an introductory talk in the meeting room followed by demonstrations of current equipment in the garage plus displays of cuttings, photographs and early equipment in the training area, while a video was running. Both sessions were very well attended with hundreds of visitors and, although it was not a fund raising exercise, we received many donations, several of which generously acknowledged our years of service with £60. Sunday saw the Team out at Lanthwaite Green giving a practical demonstration of a crag rescue and lower on High Kid Crag. Several former members and members of the public came along to watch and afterwards a large group enjoyed lunch at The Fish Hotel in Buttermere. Our supporters from the Spods kindly donated money to pay for a ﬂoral display, commemorating the anniversary, in the ﬂower bed at Oakhurst at the entrance to the town. John Dempster CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 17

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Comments from the casualties

What they say about us!

‘Your speedy response and attention meant that I was made pain free and ankle secured in a very short time. The way in which the Team worked together so eﬃciently and cheerfully, despite the “bog trotting” with a stretcher was very reassuring’ ‘You turned a terrible experience into one I will always remember as a testament to the valuable work of the Mountain Rescue service’

20 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

‘Thank you again for your selﬂess eﬀorts’ ‘You must do huge amounts of training to produce such a smoothly co-ordinated result’ ‘We were “blown away” by your expertise, professionalism, care, empathy and good humour. An otherwise traumatic experience was eased enormously as we knew immediately that we were in safe hands’

‘We would not have been able to cope without you’

‘You displayed professional and sensitive eﬃciency’

CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 21

Incidents2013 1

1st January

A vulnerable female, with learning diﬃculties went missing from care home. Located on the bank of

swollen river, cold, wet and hypothermic.

5th January

A 41-year-old walker from Cumbria became

disorientated

in cloud having left the summit of

Blake Fell

He took shelter and called the Team. He was located by Team members in the shelter on Carling Knott and was then walked oﬀ the fell to his car by a Team member.

13th January A minibus became

stuck on ice

on Newlands Pass with four passengers on board. The vehicle wedged against the side of the road. Two Team Landrovers responded and the people were taken to safety at Buttermere. 22 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

14th January

Two people called the Police, reporting they were

lost in Whinlatter Forest The missing people found their way back to their car whilst the Team were preparing to leave the base.

24th January

The Team was called by

theto investigate Police reports

of a bright light on

Ennerdale Fells The Team leader spoke to the informant, and it appeared the light was descending to the valley. No further action was taken by the Team.

4th February

The Team was called to assist the

ambulance service with a casualty found in the

15th February

A 50-year-old paraglider from Cumbria crashed into the fell side on Grasmoor sustaining leg injuries. He was stretchered to the Great North Air Ambulance and ďŹ&#x201A;own to hospital.

River Derwent near Camerton. The casualty was carried to the ambulance by the emergency services on scene, including a Team member. This was completed before Team vehicles arrived at the scene.

CMRT Annual Report 2014 â&#x2014;?23

19th February

A missing dog believed to be injured in the Crag Fell area Ennerdale, heard howling in the distance. The owners walked out from Bleach Green and located the dog as Team members were mobilising.

4th March

A walker in a group of three was reported to have

slipped

whilst traversing above Walkers Gully,

Pillar Rock.

The casualty was removed by the Team from the gully and the body was transported by RAF helicopter 131 to Cockermouth.

10 4th March The Team was called to a 58-year-old female who had twisted her ankle and was

unable to walk. She was treated by the Team and carried to the Great North Air Ambulance for transport to West Cumberland Hospital.

11 22nd March The Team was asked to assist a

driver stuck in a vehicle in the Caldbeck area in snowy conditions. 24 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

12 22nd March The Team was called to assist with vehicles stuck in deep, drifting

snow on the A595 in the Waberthwaite area. The Team worked through the day with the Wasdale, Duddon and Furness, Coniston, Kendal and Bay Rescue Teams to

15 24th March A car with three people from the Exeter area became stuck whilst

descending

Honister Pass evacuate people due to other abandoned cars from their vehicles to reception centres.

blocking the road. The occupants were evacuated by a Team vehicle to Cockermouth.

13 23rd March The Team was called by the

ambulance service to transport a woman from her home near Loweswater to West Cumberland Hospital for her regular treatment. The Team

transported the patient

18 Allerdale Borough Council called the Team to see if we could help remove a dumped mattress from the River Derwent in Cockermouth. The Team were pleased to remove the mattress as part of a swift water 'rescue' exercise. See page 50.

from her home to the rescue team base, from where she was transported to hospital by car. The Team then transported her home later in the day.

14 23rd March The Team was called by the Police to assist a van driver who had become

stuck in snow near Ireby. A Team vehicle set oďŹ&#x20AC; to the incident, but were recalled when a snow plough reached the van and it was able to continue.

16 24th March A 64-year-old mountaineer from Cumbria

injured his leg whilst ascending into Pillar Cove, Ennerdale. He was stretchered down to the valley and taken to West Cumberland Hospital.

17 31st March A party was reported stuck

in a gully

in snow and ice near Kirkfell, Black Sail pass area. The Team responded. A Wasdale Team member already in the area at the time guided them to safety as the Team arrived. CMRT Annual Report 2014 â&#x2014;? 25

19 25th April The Team was called to a 60-yearold woman from Australia who had

broken her ankle whilst out walking in Warnscale, Buttermere. The casualty was treated at the scene by an ambulance paramedic and a Team doctor and stretchered to a waiting ambulance by Team members.

21 12th May The Team was called, along with Keswick Team, to a

hypothermic casualty at Dubs Hut above Honister Mines. As the Team was meeting at base, they received an update that the casualty had already been transported to a waiting ambulance.

25th May

A 23-year-old walker from London was walking on the Buttermere Lake shore path when she suﬀered an ankle injury. She was

stretchered by the Team to Gatesgarth Farm for onward ambulance transport to Cumberland Inﬁrmary, Carlisle. 26 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

20 12th May The Team was called to

assist Keswick MRT with a woman with an ankle injury on Greenup Edge. The casualty was treated at the scene and then

ﬂown to hospital by a helicopter from RAF Boulmer.

22 23rd May The Team, along with the Lake District Search Dogs, was called to search for a

missing person in the Wythop area. Sadly the casualty was a fatality and was carried by the Team from the fellside down to the roadside.

24 25th May A 48-year-old

mountain biker from Newcastle sustained a leg injury close to Black Sail Youth Hostel, Ennerdale. He was transported in a Team vehicle to an ambulance at Bowness Knott, and then taken to West Cumberland Hospital.

30 18th June The Team was called to a 63year-old male from Derby who was walking the Coast to Coast route. He had injured his ankle near Red Gill on Ennerdale south shore footpath. He was treated on scene by the Team and carried to an ambulance waiting at Gillerthwaite.

25 26th May A 69-year-old walker from Germany injured her ankle whilst

27 7th June

incident walking along Crummock Paragliding Male landed awkwardly on Lake shore close to Scale Beck. She was stretchered to Buttermere and taken by road ambulance to West Cumberland Hospital.

26 4th June

descending on to Buttermere Moss, High Snockrigg area. He was treated for a damaged ankle and ﬂown to hospital by air ambulance.

A 65-year-old male was reported as

collapsed on Fleetwith Pike. The casualty was assessed by a Doctor from an air ambulance and he was subsequently escorted from the fell by the Team.

28 15th June Group of three females reported

overdue on walk in the Pillar Steeple area. They returned to their vehicles not long after the Team were being mobilised.

29 16th June The Team was called to a 49-yearold male who had collapsed east of the summit of Great Bourne. He was treated by the Team, lowered to the valley bottom, and then ﬂown to West Cumberland Hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance. CMRT AnnualReport Report2014 2013 ●27 CMRT Annual

31 20th June TheTeam was called to an elderly woman from Cambridgeshire who had tripped and

cut her head

on the Buttermere lakeshore path. She was treated at the scene by the crew of the Great North Air Ambulance, and carried by the Team to a waiting ambulance.

32 22nd June A runner from Ilkley Harriers on a Bob Graham round became stuck on Doddick, Blencathra with

severe cramp.

35 11th July

The Team assisted Keswick MRT to stretcher him down Doddick ridge to Doddick Farm.

33 26th June A 57-year-old woman sustained a

fractured arm on Fleetwith Pike. She was ﬂown by air ambulance to West Cumberland Hospital.

34 3rd July Two walkers and their dog became lost near the summit of High Crag when low cloud descended and reduced visibility. After a telephone conversation with a Team leader, and an improvement in the weather, the walkers were able to make their own way back down to the valley. 28 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

A 16-year-old boy injured his knee on Haystacks, just above the Scarth Gap. The Team treated him at the scene and carried him down to Scarth Gap, where the Great North Air Ambulance was waiting. This ﬂew him down to Gatesgarth Farm, where he was transferred to a land ambulance and driven to West Cumberland Hospital.

36 16th July A climbing party reported a stuck on Dry Trim Ledge, at High Crag Buttermere. The sheep was successfully encouraged oﬀ the ledge as a CMRT member retreated by abseil after climbing Delilah. Gatesgarth Farm was informed after the rescue.

sheep

38 19th July 37 17th July A 60-year-old woman fell whilst descending Haystacks towards Scarth Gap pass. She sustained injuries to her head and back. She was treated at the scene, and carried to the Great North Air Ambulance which had landed in Scarth Gap. The Air Ambulance then ďŹ&#x201A;ew her to the RVI, Newcastle.

A 19-year-old male fell down Sour Milk Ghyll, Buttermere sustaining shoulder and ankle injuries. The casualty was treated at the scene by a Team doctor and a doctor from the Great North Air Ambulance. He was

stretchered down the side of the falls and taken to West Cumberland Hospital. CMRT Annual Report 2014 â&#x2014;?29

39 20th July A local farmer reported a

sheep stuck on crags near Rannerdale. The sheep was successfully rescued by two Team members.

40 21st July Whilst attending a training exercise on Pillar Rock the TheTeam spotted a sheep stranded on a rocky ledge. The sheep was successfully rescued by a group from theTeam.

41 28th July A 52-year-old walker from London fell down the fell side

into a waterfall whilst ascending steep ground close to Little Round How, sustaining a serious knee injury. A Team doctor, paramedic and Team members were lowered down the waterfall gully to the casualty. He was treated, loaded on to a stretcher, and hauled up the waterfall to a location where a helicopter from RN Gannet could ﬂy him to West Cumberland Hospital. See full report on pages 42 and 43.

The walker fell from this boulder.

30 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

42 1st August A 42-year-old fell walker from Essex sustained an ankle and knee injury whilst on Haystacks. He was treated at the scene by Team doctors and ﬂown by the North West Air Ambulance to West Cumberland Hospital.

walking

44 23rd August

3rd August

slipped

A 64-year-old woman and broke her ankle on the path between Scale Force and Buttermere. She was treated by the Team and carried to Buttermere, before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

A 76-year-old female from the north east tripped and sustained

head injuries near Crummock lakeshore. She was treated at the scene by Team Members and an NWAS paramedic, then transferred to a road ambulance using the Team's vehicle.

45 28th August Report at 23.30hrs of three

mountain bikers overdue from day out in the mountains above Buttermere. They turned up safe and well just as the Team were preparing to respond.

CMRT Annual Report 2014 â&#x2014;? 31

46 29th August Suicidal 40-year-old male half way between Rogerscale and Whin Fell. Male located and assisted to the ambulance with the police in attendance before the full Team mobilised.

47 30th August Walking party of four lost near High Stile to Red Pike ridge. They were

located using the GPS on their phone and talked onto the descent path. The Team walked up to meet them on the Red Pike descent.

48 30th August Whilst undertaking a practice in the Buttermere Valley, the Team was asked to investigate possible

shouts for help in the Hackney Holes area. Two Team members searched the area but only a bleating sheep was found!

49 21st September Wasdale MRT asked the Team to help in the

search and evacuation

of a walking group in the Yewbarrow to Pillar area. 32 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

56 4th November The Team was called to a 51-yearold woman from York who had injured her leg on Burnbank Fell, Loweswater. She was treated at the scene, and carried to an ambulance at Fangs Brow.

50 28th September A 34-year-old man from Poland

failed to return to Gillerthwaite Youth Hostel after a walk on the fells south of Ennerdale Water. After discussion with the Police, it was agreed that the Team would begin searching the next morning. As the Team were preparing to leave the base, the man returned safely to Gillerthwaite Youth Hostel.

51 30th September A 42-year-old man was missing near Distington, West Cumbria. The Team, along with

ﬁve search dogs and Cumbria Police, mounted a search of the area. The missing person was found safe and well at Distington Church.

52 19th October 61-year-old female

fallen on rock step

on Buttermere lakeshore path.

Suspected spinal injury. Casualty treated on scene by GNAA doctor and paramedic. The Team transferred casualty to Great North Air Ambulance and taken to Carlisle Hospital.

53 24th October The Team was called to a 65-yearold male who had and sustained an

slipped

ankle injury on Snockrigg above Buttermere. He was treated on the scene by the Team and carried to a waiting ambulance.

54 26th October The Team was called to ﬁnd and assist a 44-year-old woman who had become

lost

descending from Red Pike. She was located just above the intake wall not far from Scale Force, and walked oﬀ the hill.

55 29th October The Team were called by the ambulance service to help treat a 68-year-old male fallen and injured his leg by the

river near Cockermouth. He was treated at the scene and carried to a waiting ambulance.

CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 33

57 6th November Called by the ambulance service to assist with a female mountain biker

fallen near Gillerthwaite Youth hostel, near Cat Crag. Casualty was evacuated by ambulance as the Team was making its way to the incident.

58 16th November

60 26th November The Team was called to help a 60-yearold male from Newcastle under Lyme who had become disorientated in mist on Haystacks. His was determined with a

location

SARLOC text,

which enabled the Team to give him directions oﬀ the hill. A small number of Team members went down the valley and met him as he was returning to the valley.

The Team was called to assist the ambulance service and the Great North Air Ambulance to evacuate a 60-year-old woman who had

fallen from her horse in the countryside towards Carlisle, suﬀering a

head injury and concussion. A RAF helicopter that was on exercise in the area also came to assist, and ﬂew the patient to the Cumberland Inﬁrmary, Carlisle.

59 23rd November The Team was informed of two sheep stuck on the crags of High Crag, Buttermere. Three team members successfully

rescued the sheep from the crag.

61 1st December Called by the police to assist in the search for missing local male. Search centred near the old Anglers Inn Hotel area,

Ennerdale Lake shore. Team members searched the area with help of search dogs. Later a report from the police informed us the missing person has been located in

Whitehaven.

34 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

s ge pa us se k to the ac ut d b llo en Pu nd s a

Support the Team Please treat the enclosed gift of ÂŁ______________ as a Gift Aid donation. I am a UK taxpayer and I wish Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team to reclaim tax on the enclosed donation made under the Gift Aid Scheme Signature__________________________________ Date__________________ Full Name ________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Post Code _____________________ Charity Reg No: 506956

Gift Aid Declaration Form As a charity Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team can reclaim the tax on any donation you make (providing you are a UK tax payer) and increases its value by nearly a third â&#x20AC;&#x201C; without costing you a penny. It is one of the most effective ways to help the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team members even more, and enable them to continue their rescues.

Can you help the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team by giving a regular amount each month or year to help continue our work? If so, please fill in the form overleaf...

Please complete, pull out this centre spread and send to: Chris Abbot, High Leys, Rowrah, Frizington, Cumbria CA26 3XT

Can you help the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team by giving a regular amount each month or year to help continue our work? If so, please fill in the form below...

Text a donation on your mobile phone. Text the message CMRT11 £20 to number 70070, and we receive a £20 donation, simple as that! We are charged no fees for this service so we receive every penny of the amount you donate. Make an on-line donation via the Charities Aid Foundation website www.cafonline.org

Bankers Order Date________________ To ___________________________________________ Bank Address_________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Post Code ____________________ Name of Account to be debited _____________________________ Account No___________ Please pay to: National Westminster Bank, 23 Station Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria Code No 01-02-17, for credit of CMRT, Account No 08702349 The sum of £ __________ in words:____________________________________________ Commencing ____________________________________________ (Date of first payment) And thereafter every _____________________________________________ (Month/Year) Until ________ _(Date of last payment or until further notice) and debit my/our account accordingly Signed ___________________________________________ Date __________________

Please complete, pull out this centre spread and send to: Chris Abbot, High Leys, Rowrah, Frizington, Cumbria CA26 3XT

Help support us by buying some of our Team merchandise

PIN BADGE £2 Total £

WOOLLY HAT £7 one size fits all (please ring for other colours available)

Orange Total £

Sky Blue Total £

Burgundy Total £

Yellow Total £

SMALL TORCH £3 Total £

LAND ROVER £5 Total £

KEYRING £1 Total £ PEN 50p Total £ CAR STICKER £1 Total £

For more info, ring Chris Abbot on 01946 861963

SWEATSHIRT £17 Size(s) Colour(s) Total £

FLEECE full zip £22 Size(s) Colour(s) Total £

All clothing in chest sizes: S 36/38 M 38/40 L 40/42 XL 42/44 (please ring for other colours available) POLO SHIRT £15 Size(s) Colour(s) Total £

FLEECE 1/4 zip £20 Size(s) Colour(s) Total £

T-SHIRT £7.50 Size(s) Colour(s) Total £

MUG £4 Total £

XMAS CARDS Pack of five for £4 x Six packs for £20 x Total £

Please add P+P £2 for clothing and mugs and 50p for other items Total £ Donation £ Total enclosed £

Name Address Phone

Please make cheques payable to Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team and enclose with this centre spread pullout to: Chris Abbot, High Leys, Rowrah, Frizington, Cumbria CA26 3XT

supporting the cockermouth mountain rescue team

award-winning real ales brewed in cumbria www.yatesbrewery.co.uk

Special People of Distinction Society (SPODS)

In memory of Frank and Doreen Sippetts and Brenda Treharne Greatly missed by SPODS

2 Fairfield Buildings South Street, Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 9RU 01900 823071

Lake District Outdoor offers an extensive range of outdoor clothing and accessories to suit your needs and pockets. Why not pop in and have a look around? Lisa and Jim are always on hand to offer friendly and professional advice. Now stocking Scuba Diving products and offering Padi learn to dive courses. Official outlet for Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team merchandise

www.lakedistrictoutdoor.co.uk

Crown Street Cockermouth Tel: 01900 823591 The Trout Hotel offers 49 superbly appointed bedrooms including two visually stunning Suites comprising of lounge, bathroom and bedroom. The Derwent Restaurant Our award winning dining room offers traditional classic cuisine every evening from 7pm until 9.30pm and traditional three course Sunday Lunch ÂŁ18.95. Bar meals are served every day in the comfortable lounges or in the garden overlooking the river Derwent in warm weather.

The Terrace Bar & Bistro Whether you wish to sit outside or in, The Terrace is the place to be. Adjacent to Wordsworth House we offer relaxed and informal surroundings to enjoy coffee, a bottle or glass of wine or a full meal from our bistro menu. Open every day, last orders for food at 9.30pm.

Waterfall rescue by Chris Cookson, Deputy Leader

42 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

It’s 28th July and just after 17:00 when the phone bursts into life with ‘The Siren’ ring tone I’ve set up to indicate a SARCALL text from the police. For once I’m sat at home when the call came in and so let the Team Leader know I was going to contact the informant. Somebody had fallen, suffered leg injuries and was stuck at Haystacks in Buttermere, near a waterfall called or

near ‘the hut’. The alarm was raised from Gatesgarth Cottage in Buttermere as there was no mobile signal at the casualty site, which would be plausible for an accident on Haystacks but the description of a waterfall didn’t ﬁt. I phoned Gatesgarth Cottage and Maureen answered. The informant wasn’t a member of the party involved in the accident and wasn’t there any more, having gone on their way. With no further information I paged the Team via SARCALL and set off for the base. On route I heard Mobile 1 had left with ﬁve on board. Mobile 2 was still at base when I arrived, so I jumped in. During the journey down the valley we got an update from the police with a grid reference. The air ambulance had also been tasked to this incident, which would be a great help if the grid reference wasn’t correct. It put the casualty site at the beck just east of Green Crag and not on Haystacks. This seemed more in keeping with the ‘waterfall’ description. Mobile 1 was 10 minutes or so ahead of us. I heard them inform base that they had seen the air ambulance land just east of Green Crag and that the air ambulance paramedic was near but not yet with the casualty. By now Mobile 2 was travelling up to Honister pass and then up the mine road to Dubs hut. This area is notoriously >>> problematic for radio CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 43

>>> communications back to base and it wasn’t until after we arrived that we heard the crew of the air ambulance had requested the assistance of a Sea King helicopter. The ARCC (Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre) had dispatched a Royal Navy Sea King and that was on route from HMS Gannet, based at Prestwick in Scotland, with an ETA of 30 minutes. We radioed the Team Leader to check what kit we needed to bring with us. “Ropes and a stretcher” was the reply. Knowing that a rope had already been taken by the party from Mobile 1, the request for more ropes suggested this was going to be a technical rescue. With the casualty site only just over ﬁve minutes on foot from where we parked the vehicles and with the air ambulance on the ground within a couple of hundred metres, getting to the scene was straightforward. On arrival, the Team were lowering people down steep 44 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

steps in the beck in order to get to the casualty. Included were a Team doctor and a paramedic from the air ambulance. The casualty was located in a small horizontal section of the beck below a short vertical drop and only a couple of metres away from a much bigger drop. He had fallen quite a distance already but had managed to land in the small horizontal section of the beck rather than going the full length (a couple of hundred metres or so, more). Where the casualty had landed was quite a tight spot, with steep walls on both sides and was wet being just to the side of the watercourse. The immediate concern though, was that it was being threatened by large perched blocks just a couple of metres above the casualty and also some distance uphill on the right bank of the beck. The further up the hillside you looked, the bigger the blocks got! Rock fall is one of the biggest hazards faced on mountain rescues and with this a very real danger in this instance, keeping the number of people actually with the casualty to a minimum was important. As was making sure that everybody else knew about

the hazard and kept well away from those loose, perched blocks. Tom, our Team doctor on scene, the paramedic from the air ambulance and a couple of Team members did an excellent job of assessing and packaging the casualty given the exposed, cramped and wet location. The casualty’s injuries were not life-threatening so, given the potential for rock fall, we opted not to ask the Sea King to winch from this location but to use ropes to haul the stretcher back up the beck. We used a rope strung across the beck directly above the ﬁrst big rock step to direct the ropes that ran up the beck away from any perched blocks. These ropes were used to haul the stretcher uphill and eventually out of the beck. The RN Sea King ‘landed on’ near by and we were able to carry the stretcher to the open door of the aircraft and lift the casualty aboard. We then retreated to a safe distance before the Sea King took to the air and headed to West Cumberland hospital.

CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 45

r e l p m i s , r e i s Betteeinr‘M,eedaicineinRemoteAreas’ Acours

break in Over the half term members ht eig , 13 October 20 rt in an of the Team took pa sing on cu fo intensive course Areas e ot m Re In Medicine delivered by (MIRA). This was m Exmed, fro ris Wayne and Ch Hereford. a company based in ering off They specialise in ining to tra aid st fir immediate rk wo in professionals that le sti remote and ho is course has environments. Th all sorts; been undertaken by medics, ra pa rs, whether docto ms or medics soldiers, rescue tea camera e lif supporting wild c. cti Ar e teams in th n over five The course was ru th a mix wi , ys da very intensive s of lot ry, eo th al) of (minim -depth in d an hands-on practice e th m fro t gh Ri discussion. team to us vio ob s wa it onset ne and Chris members that Way le and they tab ap ad ly were total fo d cus to constantly change at was th g deliver trainin s as a rescue ed ne r ou to t relevan ve polar ha team (as we don’t Ds here in IE y an m o bears, or to ith Wayne, West Cumbria!) W wen team Og of an ex-member ilitary m ed nc rie pe and an ex ur to s of duty medic with many 46 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

Russell practicing canulation of a vein (on a dummy ﬁrst!).

fells (blast butter work on the s hi r de t wounds!). un ho st ns Ea gu e d dl injuries an in the Mid r cto Do hints, E all A& However, many sm belt, and Chris, an we , es tions id es gg gu r su ou d techniques an in Durham as and l fu lp s. he nd ely ha m fe sa tre were ex were in y an m tiple st, ul ne m ho in If I were to be could be applied tside of nt ou we d se an ur in co th e bo th situations aspects of a as ad ro we at as ch wh the team’s work, su above and beyond e. At pl d an am d ex r ea fo br s r traffic collision Team do as ou

airway or oropharyngeal bes inserted tu ’s at (th ts adjunc outh to help m into your nose or al people!). rm no to , you breath practised and We also practised, xt was Ne e! practised thes made clear s wa is Th g. Breathin r amongst Chris practicing we and easy for the slo o tw using a Laerdal of e us by the us d an S face mask. AP FL : ics on mnem re bo to g in go um mattress; t TWELVE. I’m no the use of the vacu e), lik u yo if ourselves a em by th all t gle you, (Goo working ou ed se lp ur he co e it’s e of getting but needless to say nifty little techniqu the very centre of th of ial les uc casualty on e cr cip e th in r th pr r me remembe it in place unde were the basic on d’ ati ar in course nd e am sta Th ex . t ld in es ‘go ra ch a g ter of aspects difficult deliverin a as y. t alt en a major su th ca ssm a wi se and breathing as training finished primary survey of e th m io where we fro ar is tle th en lit sc ng ry ry wi ve ju result! Follo multiple in This differs to d re an he ly on ad tal handsfocused on Circulati teams had to get to same principles we y alt su of Ca s e dirty (we nt th ly g ou gained huge am on and thorough when undergoin s do lse pu we uddy and g in m ich , tak wh en g, at dd in ce so confiden used the Care train e th g er, in ev in ow e Fire station H tely and exam claggy woods in th every three years. ne accura l do s na ha ter g in r traffic in of in ajo ns tra m e a casualty for sig as a scene of what I feel th ore utine m a ro e lid m so ca a l xt sti Ne in !) g. is bleedin collision for me t aside ation of easy to follow The final day was se thorough consider and system that is d exams. . an ry gh eo ain ou th br or d e. th an (i. ry al Disabilities for practic and very, ve lly e na at th t Fi d . ou sse n) pa The great thing ab neurological functio Apparently we all sdid d nd ne an ha ay re s W su wa t po it bu , ex at ry high levels we considered training was th e , before ve s with W ns rk e. er wo nc tim e lly co th ua tal of us t en he os m environ say that on for m s, another ’t possibly PowerPoint ining on MIST (ye tra squaddies. I couldn didn’t just watch a on st e fir th it, d is just ask any , di ich all we er ; wh ) mnemonic! comment! Ov on canulation r! he ot ver each m that recognised hand-o member of the tea dummies, then on ics of s ed on m ra ati pa str se as to to ur on communications undertook the co We watched dem C DR e it. Each s. m (th rth ey tea wo rv s ce su wa y lan and ambu whether it the primar nt ewa ,a lif u yo sic if vo ic, say, unequi cally As well as these ba ABCDE mnemon e one will we , tim en t ed th en tis e sp ac nc pr Si we en S! les th saving princip resounding YE to know) and ain s, ining ag rn tra bu ed m as tis ac tea ch pr su ole d ios wh an ar d on scen have ha practised onmental dition to our team inal injuries, envir sp and already other ourselves. A new ad as l on ro ati nt er co id g ns in ted that they co ed sta e ble th ve s injuries and members ha training wa ia. ich es wh alg g, an an excellent as edin well as issues such feel it is potentially of catastrophic ble th wi ng ills alty Care ssi sk se su r as Ca ou We also honed addition to our was placed after t bu mely , se tre on ex sp an s Re d wa course. It Danger an and Martin practicing sizing Airway. knackering of ly t gh en ou ssm or se th , as se re inten befo ﬁtting an Guedal airway. while five such an but absolutely worth Having to deal with ely lik un confidence very days. It has given us occurrence is very, t no ensure the is to t and an eagerness in what we do, bu ive sit sualty po ca a st s be wa e so th , team gives impossible ay and rw Oh Ai n. to care we possibly ca step. With regards r iddle ou m ed e th fin re in t we we had a call-ou management, way, air e th g in en op ll! of of it as we methods th look at the Russell Butler and had an in-dep l sa fferent na pros and cons of di CMRT Annual Report 2014 ●47

Liz Hunter

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Lorton Street Clinic Cockermouth Cumbria Telephone 01900 822008

Limelighting and Limelighting Electrical Supplies wish the team all the best and are delighted to support their activities Station Road, Cockermouth CA13 9PZ Tel: 01900 822480 / 821822 www.limelighting.co.uk

Unusual rescue It’s great being in the Mountain Rescue Team. There you are sat at your accountant’s desk calculating another amortisation ﬁgure, or whiling away another afternoon shift at your computer at Sellaﬁeld , or counting down the minutes with your GCSE Geography class till the bell goes – then it happens. The call comes in and you’re transformed like Superman (or Hong Kong Fooey) into an all-purpose rescue hero. That’s just what it was like one Monday evening when Parky, (that’s our team leader Mike Park not Park Geun-hye, the president of Korea), said he wanted volunteers to go out on a rescue. We’ve rescued some strange things in the 50 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

past but this was the ﬁrst time we’d been asked to rescue a bed. It had been dumped by some low-life, over the old railway bridge into the river. The council refuse collectors were unable to access it and it was a real eye-sore. (At this point I should say that if it is your bed and I’ve misread the situation then perhaps there is a quite innocent explanation. Maybe you’re a Leslie Cleeland’s delivery man and the bed was whisked out of your grasp and over the railway bridge by a sudden gust of wind or something. Looking at the stained mattress though, I’m sticking with the low-life explanation.) So a group of us, trained as swift water rescuers, got kitted out in our gear and,

with our inflatable boat (purchased from your kind donations), went and rescued the bed. We floated down the river to the foot of the slope where the bed had landed and with some difficulty managed to manoeuvre it on board, with a lot of other rubbish that had been deposited there. We carefully floated it downstream, to the men from Allerdale Council who were waiting to collect it. Then we repaired to the pub, another daring rescue completed. Oh, by the way, if you do have an old bed you want to get rid of, you can always ring the council on 01900 702800. They’ll pick it up and save you carrying your dirty mattress through town. Steve Whitehurst

The staﬀ at 1761 in Market Place, decided to put together a team to take part in a very physical Total Warrior Challenge. They survived the mud and severe conditions to raise the sum of £300 for the Team.

Kate Jarvis, a personal trainer, gave sampling sessions to members of the public and, with the help of her family, organised other events such as a bake sale, to raise £350 for the Team.

Thank you toallour fundraisers

Mrs Kay Carlin, from the Allerdale Court Hotel, decided to raise funds by having a special evening dinner, the proceeds of which would go to the Team. The Head Chef, Chris Bryant, who had lost ten stone in preparation for the Great North Run, also raised money for the Team through sponsorship. He completed the run in two hours, 39½ minutes. The magniﬁcent sum of £565 was handed over by them to Chris Abbot and Carolyn Ottley from the Team. Picture courtesy of the Times & Star. CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 51

Proud to support Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team

Kirkstile Inn Loweswater

Cumbria

01900 85219 www.kirkstile.com

Team practice with a difference The Team’s Sunday Practice on 24th March 2013 started out as normal, at 8am, at the Base for a final briefing from the Team Leader on the programme for the day and then head off down the Ennerdale valley. Due to the prevailing winter conditions on the high fells the programme was to follow a winter skills theme. Pillar Cove was the decided location and plans had been made for a casualty evacuation from the hill in combination with an RAF Sea King Helicopter, after a number of Team Members had undergone Helicopter Stage 1 Familiarisation Refresher Training in the valley bottom. Eight Team members, including myself, headed up to the head of the valley near to Black Sail YH to await the arrival of the helicopter mid-morning. The rest of the Team parked up on the forest road below Pillar Rock and proceeded up the traverse path across through the forest to the waterfall, up into the combe below Pillar Rock before heading up the east side of the Rock to the gullies in Pillar Cove. While waiting for the helicopter, time was spent digging a way through the snow drifts to enable us to get the Land

by John Bulman

Rovers we were in, through to the old ford at the top end of the forest and then across the frozen river to the helicopter landing site. Time went by and it started to become obvious from the radio traffic back to base in Cockermouth that it was going to be a ‘no show’ for the helicopter, due to the high winds forecast above 2,000 feet over the whole of the Lake District. The eight of us used the time and the deep snow drifts across the valley floor to simulate a search for casualties buried by avalanche using the new Avalanche Transceivers. Eventually we heard that the RAF wouldn’t be flying over for a practice but would be available should an actual incident occur. So we headed back down the valley, parked up at the start of the traverse path and ascended to join the rest of the Team who were by then up into the gullies in Pillar Cove. As we gained height the depth of snow increased and so did the wind strength. The eight of us had become strung out as we ascended towards the east side of the Rock to the right of Robinson’s Cairn and at the bottom of the slope below the start of Shamrock Traverse I stopped to put on >>> my crampons as the snow by now CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 53

>>> had become hard neve and it was becoming more difficult to kick steps. After putting on my crampons I proceeded up the snow covered boulder field about 30 metres when suddenly my right boot broke through the snow crust and my lower right leg went down into a hollow between two snow covered boulders. As my right lower leg went down and jammed I fell backwards, heard a sound and felt the pain of what I thought at the time was my lower right leg breaking. I was now lying on my back, head down the slope, held by my lower right leg trapped between the two boulders. On starting to pull myself sideways and upwards using my ice axe I eventually managed to free my leg as I gained a little height. As my right leg came free I held my position with the axe as an anchor and spun over onto my back and round so that I was now head up and feet down the slope. Looking down I could see there was the top of a boulder protruding out of the snow about five metres below me. I controlled my slide down the slope with my ice axe to the protruding boulder and stopped myself behind it with my left foot. At this stage I recall saying to myself, ‘Oh dearie me I think I have hurt my leg’, or words to that effect! The spindrift snow was blowing hard across the slope and I started to realise the predicament I was in. The six Team members in front of me had disappeared out of sight and the one I knew was below me wasn’t in sight as yet. My first thoughts were that the weather conditions and location I was in weren’t good, the high winds were whipping snow across the slope and I needed to start making my way down. Using my axe I tried to stand up and put some weight on my right leg but very rapidly realised that I couldn’t. I lay back down and reassessed my situation. My thoughts were that even though the Team were further up the mountain with all the gear for an 54 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

evacuation (and I had a radio to contact them) that it was me who had got myself into the situation and so it was up to me to start getting myself down the mountain. I didn’t want to spoil the practice and also knew those above me would take some convincing that I was actually injured and needed assistance. Conditions were such I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay long in the exposed location before I chilled down.

Assessing the injury in the Team shelter.

I had decided to slide further down the slope to find more shelter and attract Dave B’s attention who was coming up somewhere below me when Pete D appeared at the top of the slope above me. When he came down to me I explained what had happened and About to go over a small crag. asked him to give me a hand onto my feet as I was still thinking in the ‘Get yourself off’ mode. After another aborted attempt to get up onto my feet Pete got on the Team radio and contacted Mike P (Team Leader) to inform him I’d injured my lower right leg and assistance ‘was’ needed down at my location. Pete got the Bivvy Shelter out of my rucksack and put it over both of us to await assistance. Very quickly other Team members descended to our location and for the first time in nearly 48 years as a Team Member I experienced what is was like to be an actual injured casualty, and handed myself over to them ‘lock, stock and barrel’. It was then that my mind went back to the injury, the not too excessive pain I was feeling in my lower leg and for a few minutes felt the effects of slight shock setting in as they

Lowering the stretcher down steep ground.

got to work. I also realised just how much I had chilled down in the 20 minutes or so since the incident. The Team Bivvy Shelter was put over and the temperature inside it and my own started to increase. My right boot and sock were removed and the examination of my right leg commenced following a quick ABC assessment. I could hear that a Casualty Care card was being completed and I was asked all the standard questions of ‘AMPLE’ (Allergies, Medication, Past Illnesses, Last Meal, Events of incident). I was noted as being ‘Alert’ on the AVPU Response Scale (the others being Responds to ‘Verbal’, ‘Pain’ or ‘Unconscious’). My lower right leg was

splinted using ‘Sam Splints’ and tape, standard for a lower leg fracture by CMRT, although even a this stage a diagnosis of snapped Achilles Tendon was also being discussed as a possibility. The relief both physically and mentally on the leg being splinted was tremendous. Up to that stage, from the time of the incident, it had felt as if my leg below the knee was numb. Pain relief (Entonox or Nasal Diamorphine) was considered and discussed for the evacuation down. I opted to have the Entonox cylinder at hand on the stretcher to be used if I felt I needed it. I was then lifted into the Cas Bag (sheepskin lined sleeping bag), lifted again and strapped onto the stretcher and the evacuation down through the snow covered lower combe to the top of

the water fall began. During the descent I was regularly asked how I was feeling, as is standard practice. At the top of the waterfall section another assessment of my condition was made as the stretcher was transferred to the belays that had been set up for the lower down the right hand side, a task I had done many times myself. There was little explanation as to what was coming next as the route is used by the Team on a regular basis. It made me realise the importance of casualties being kept informed of what is actually happening during descents from the mountains and being reassured at all stages of an evacuation. The lower went smoothly and was then followed by the stretcher being skidded directly down through the forest section to the forestry road below. On being removed from the stretcher at the bottom, an assisted hop got me into the back of one of the Team Land Rovers while Joe G (Team Doctor) made decisions regarding my transfer from the valley to West Cumberland Hospital. I was met in A&E by Mike Green (Consultant A&E Doctor and also a Member of Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team, who made a formal diagnosis of a snapped Achilles Tendon). The injury resulted in an operation four days later to reconnect the tendon, followed by a four month recovery period off work, the first two of which were spent in plaster. The week after the incident I was the Mountain Rescue Statistic in the Keswick Reminder, which briefly said ‘A 64-year-old mountaineer sustained a lower leg injury on Pillar. He was evacuated off the hill by members of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team’. Although I gave my thanks during and after the incident (not to mention the beers on the evening of the first Team Meeting afterwards) I would again like to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ again for rescuing that ‘64-year-old mountaineer’ off the hill. CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 55

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. . . t h g i ﬂ A

I was out flying with ‘Dangerous’ Dave, took off on Swinside and flew around to Grasmoor. It was lovely flying just below the orographic cloud. The wind dropped and we both headed back towards Swinside. I wasn’t flying as close to the cloud as Dangerous, so I couldn’t quite make it back. I did a nil wind slope landing on lower slopes of Whiteside. I swung into a rock and broke my left leg. It didn’t feel too bad but I knew I had done something! I radioed Dave and he flew back (much less graceful landing than me). His first priority was to get a photo! Two other pilots drove around to where we were, and got their vehicle to within 200 metres. I checked myself over, definitely no other injuries, except a small nose bleed. I thought better of a carry 58 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

Would you want these two guys to carry you down the hill?

down as I wasn’t sure how bad my leg was, and we called 999, police and MRT. I felt a bit guilty about that but sat and enjoyed the afternoon sun while my glider was ‘stuffed’ into its bag and carried it down to the car. We then got a call back from MRT – Martin was coming to save me, “Oh dear I won’t be able to keep this one quiet”. There was time for a quick photo opportunity with fellow pilots, a phone call home (fortunately it was my daughter) then all hell broke loose; sirens coming up the valley, helicopter... “oh dear, what have I done?” Martin was running up the slope, then I realised why! He had a camera on his head. They started taking details and I was told that unless I moderated my language they wouldn’t be

able to use the footage on TV. (I don’t think they will ﬁnd enough footage without bleeps to use! Phew, saved some embarrassment.) I unzipped my ﬂying suit and slipped out of the top. Out came a needle to go into my arm, then it all goes a bit hazy (I’m not good with needles). A few good whiffs of Entonox and some morphine before my boot was removed. I do remember ‘encouraging’ MRT to cut my laces as they tried to remove my boot. Not much fun that bit. It was pointed out that my leg was a funny shape (I did see it actually and had to agree). It was put in a splint and I was put on the stretcher and very carefully carried down to the air ambulance. I have to admit to being rather quiet at this stage, I hadn’t forgotten the day when I

r e b m e m e r o ...t Or these guys?

was flying at about 2,500ft above Derwentwater and a helicopter flew right below me and didn’t see me. (A definite brown trouser moment that I could see coming from a long way off). Now wasn’t really the time to ask if he was the pilot. On take-off the pilot did a 180 degrees turn just above ground level, ‘for the cameras’. I had my suspicions that this could be the same pilot! We flew over Loweswater and around Burnbank to keep below cloud level, then directly to the hospital. I heard later that Dangerous had phoned his wife at this stage. Dangerous: Hi, are you at work? Wife: Yes Dangerous: Look out of your window, can you see a helicopter coming?

Wife: Yes. Dangerous: Just approaching the landing pad? Wife: Yes! Dangerous: Don’t worry it’s not me, it’s just Tony, he’s OK. Once into A&E I do remember someone from MRT collecting straps and something I had been lying on. They were about to cut off my ﬂying suit when I explained about the zips. Saved that one! That was it for a while, when I came round I had no trousers on and a plaster on my leg. The dislocated joint had been relocated under sedation. I was moved up to Overwater Trauma ward. From then I ended up with a pressure blister, an external ﬁxation, an operation to plate up the fracture and an infection. I spent 37 days as an inpatient in both Whitehaven

and Carlisle. It was over six months before I started back at work and looking forward to getting some screws and plates out sometime in 2014. Lessons learnt: Don’t be afraid to call out the Mountain Rescue, it may prevent any further injury. If you ask for police and MRT, if you mention ‘paragliding accident’ you will almost certainly get a helicopter unless you specify ‘No HeliMed required!’ Don’t assume medics will look for zips on any outdoor clothing. If you feel uncomfortable in a plaster (pressure swelling etc) get it taken off. At the time I remember describing my foot as “if it was cooking”. Don’t slope land where there are big rocks, even if the slope is nice and green. CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 59

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Practice m

62 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

akes perfect!

CMRT Annual Report 2014 â&#x2014;? 63

TheCasualty CareExam A large part of a Mountain Rescue Team’s workload involves looking after those who become injured or ill while out on the fells. There are a wide range of conditions that we would be expected to deal with such as head, spinal and chest injuries, limb fractures and dislocations, hypothermia, near drowning, burns, dehydration, heart attacks, cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, panic attacks, strokes, overdoses, epileptic seizures etc. and team members must therefore be skilled and confident in diagnosing and managing these conditions. Mountain rescue’s approach differs considerably from ‘first aid’ as we are assisting casualties in an often hostile environment, sometimes with major injuries and a long way in time and distance from definitive care. Packaging of the casualty in a stretcher for transport over rough ground or in a helicopter is another particular skill as is using all the machines and equipment such as defibrillators and Propac body monitors we now carry. We also have the responsibility to treat pain in these situations and Mountain Rescue is in the privileged position of having a specific Home Office licence to possess and use opiates which are still the best pain killers for trauma and heart attacks. While experience is of course a great teacher it is obviously not enough by itself and therefore we undergo regular casualty care training and sit a specific exam under the auspices of Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) every three years. The exam has been in existence since 1982 and currently consists of a Multiple Choice Question 64 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

paper lasting one hour and two practical scenarios (one trauma, one medical) of 20 minutes each. We invite nonCockermouth Team doctors to examine the scenarios to ensure objectivity. Candidates also have to demonstrate competency in basic life support. In the run up to the exam we intensify the casualty care training within the team’s usual twice monthly practices and often add extra sessions. The team members each have copies of the excellent Casualty Care in Mountain Rescue, edited by John Ellerton, as well as many other resources put together by other teams and doctors for their exams. We always try and find something new and novel to help with the revision as most team members have taken a version of the exam several times now.

The whole process feels intense, onerous and stressful even for those just organising the training and exam! Traditionally in Cockermouth team we have expected every non-medical team member to sit the exam every three years so we usually have thirty plus members to put through the exam in one very, very, long day. My memories of the day are of running between the different rooms in the base, making sure the right candidate goes into the right room at the right time, providing doctors with tea or coffee, reassuring candidates and apologising for the occasional ambiguous exam question, while someone blows a whistle every 20 minutes to signal change over. The scenario marking sheets are collected (some candidates fail) and the MCQ is marked by hand, results collated, entered in a results sheet before being sent off to the MREW exam coordinator, so that certificates for the successful can be issued. The paradox of the exam is that the MCQ is the most reliable method of confirming a candidate has sufficient knowledge but does require sophisticated verbal reasoning skills and doesn’t test practical skills, whereas the practical scenarios are more like what we do on rescues though we work as a team not individuals and it requires imagination and acting skills from the candidate, (e.g. they have to pretend they are at the base of a mountain crag in the rain with a badly injured climber not in the base control room with a resus doll and inquisitor!). Nevertheless the vast majority of Team members pass comfortably and it is always reassuring to see the demonstration of knowledge and competence. Having completed the casualty care exam last March we’re all once again feeling quite relaxed, but just give us two years and our stress levels will be back right up there with Andy Murray’s during a Wimbledon final! Dr Mark Steel

Loweswatercalender Ann and I have enjoyed fell-walking all our lives and, since moving to the Lakes twelve years ago, we have been able to pursue our hobby to the full. Along the way many sandwiches have been consumed, many rolls of film taken and (latterly) many hours have been spent downloading the digital images of all the walks we have done and views we have seen. Soon the walls of our house were becoming overcrowded with blue summer skies and white winter snow scenes all neatly enclosed in wooden frames... and so the website was born. At thirteen years old, loweswatercam.co.uk became a teenager this year and like all good teenagers, has developed a small but important life of its own. Our first full size Loweswater Calendar was printed in 2009 by Reeds of Penrith and sold via our website.

Behind all our fell walking has been the comforting knowledge that, should a problem occur, there was always someone prepared to turn out, help solve the problem or even save a life. Consequently, raising money for the local Mountain Rescue Team has been a pleasure. Each year the calendar has enabled us to raise more and more and this time we reached a magnificent £375. A big thank you to all those of you who furnished your walls with the Loweswatercam Calendar, knowing that £1 from each one will keep us all a little bit safer while we all pursue our desires to walk the fells. We’re sold out now, but if you want one, just drop us an email in September and we’ll see what we can do. In the mean time, happy walking! Roger & Ann Hiley www.loweswatercam. co.uk CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 65

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VisitfromIndia “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves”, Sir Edmund Hillary. This quote is perfect for the Mountain Rescue Team because they are conquering people’s hearts through service. In the Lake District fell-walking and fell-running are definitely the favourite pastimes for many, thanks to Wainwright’s guides. Little did we know that in times of emergency at this altitude there was a rescue team with the right attitude into rescue missions. The visit to the CMRT headquarters on 3rd May 2013 in their 60th year of existence was with many thanks to the Rotarians from Workington, who organised it. The experience was not only prodigious, but a real eye-opener for us. A power packed Team of superhumans with cross-functional backgrounds, who with their rescue dogs, work in the fiercest and alluring landscapes of Mother Nature, 24 hours a day 365 days a year on call-outs, rescuing people and restoring lives. Our realisation: volunteering, fund-raising and the charity that is happening is all so great and heart-touching. Mountaineering, clinical eloquence, body conditioning and endurance training, escalation matrices, precision analysis, best high-altitude equipment, state of the art gadgets, team deployment and planning skills, Jack’s 68 ● CMRT Annual Report 2014

Pictured: (above) The Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange team with CMRT members, First Responders and Rotarians; (right) Dr Rohan and Dr Soorya doing the mock vertical climb.

Pride and their overall vitality... all of these are of the highest calibre and prominence. CMRT, one of the eleven teams in the Lake District into rescue callout operations with utmost proficiency, showed us great friendliness and acknowledged all our queries. Chris Abbot introduced us to the Team and ran us through the history. Steve Jones, John Bulman and Dr Mark, who have given decades of voluntary service to the Team, took us through the kit and equipment used during a crisis and mentioned some of their own experiences too. Palmer from the First Responders and Mark from North West Ambulance Service exhibited their roles towards the Team’s dynamics. The audiovisual of the 2009 floods and the loss of an adept and brave man got me very emotional. Dr Rohan Monis (part of the ﬁvemember Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange, currently practising at Mangalore, Karnataka, India)

Comments from the visitor’s book

I think it was very interesting because we learnt a lot and I didn’t know what I know now. 2nd Maryport Cubs Thank you for a fantastic tour and talk. This visit has been a great end to our “People Who Help Us,” topic. Reception Class, St. Patrick’s School

A very well organised base. The children were fascinated. St. Bridget’s School

Thank you for being there for those who need you. A wonderful bunch of volunteers. Shelley Stone A great experience. Thank you very much, God bless the souls who have the will to give. The Indian doctors

Wonderful presentation; we all enjoyed it very much. Lewsey family

Thank you for a fantastic and very informative evening. Wigton Young Farmers

CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 69

Supportofa

different kind Over the years the Team has been very fortunate in having generous artistic support from a variety of people. Trevor Green helped to design the Team notepaper and also produced both cartoons and Christmas cards for us. Mandy Salkeld, for a number of years, did the graphic design for the Team reports. For the past seven years, we have been fortunate to have Denise Bell and Andy Smith using their skills to produce the attractive and interesting reports you see today. Last year in particular, with it being the 60th anniversary of the Team, they were involved in an enormous amount of work, not only producing the report, but also designing many posters and display material, including, most recently, a beer mat! As this is the tenth report I have edited, I feel that this is an appropriate time to recognise this wonderful, voluntary support. I collect the articles and organise the photographs, they do the magic. John Dempster 70 â&#x2014;? CMRT Annual Report 2014

1761, Cockermouth 4play Cycles, Cockermouth Art & Craft Shop, Cockermouth Banks, Cockermouth Bassenthwaite Sailing Club Bassenfell Manor, Bassenthwaite Belle View Inn, Cockermouth Billy Bowman Music Shop, Cockermouth Bitter Beck Pottery, Cockermouth Bitter End, Cockermouth Black Bull, Cockermouth Black Sail YH, Ennerdale Bleach Green collection box Bolton Gate Old Rectory Bowness Knott Bridge Hotel, Buttermere Brysons Bakers, Cockermouth Bush Inn, Cockermouth Buttermere Café Buttermere YH Castle Bar, Cockermouth Cleator Moor Celtic Cockermouth Cricket Club Cockermouth School Cockermouth Sweet Shop Coﬀee and Cream, Cockermouth Commercial Inn, Dearham Crag Farm, Buttermere Croft House B&B Dalegarth House, Buttermere Derwent House Surgery, Cockermouth Derwent Lodge, Embleton Dockray Meadow, Lamplugh Ennerdale YH Fagan’s, Cockermouth Fanny Mercer Fell Dyke Bothy Firns, Cockermouth Fish Inn, Buttermere Fox & Hounds, Ennerdale Galloping Horse, Harrington Gatesgarth Box Gatesgarth Van Golf Club, Cockermouth Grange Hotel, Loweswater Gun Shop, Workington Harrison’s Butchers, Cockermouth Heals Opticians High Crag Cottage, Buttermere

Collection boxes The Team is very grateful to the people and places who display our boxes. New box holders are very welcome. Please contact Derek Tunstall, who will be happy to supply one, on 01946 861051 or 07841 370644. Higham Hall, Bassenthwaite Honister Wishing Well Honister Box Honister YH Hundith Hill Hotel, Lorton Inglenook Caravan Park, Lamplugh Jennings Brewery Shop, Cockermouth Jubilee Garage, Egremont Julie’s Sandwich Bar, Cockermouth Kingﬁsher Hotel, Cockermouth Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater Lake District Outdoors, Cockermouth Lakeland Crafts, Buttermere Lifestyle Fitness & Shapers Gym Lifestyle Repairs, Cockermouth Lily & Co, Cockermouth Limelighting, Cockermouth Link House B & B, Embleton Liz Hunter, Cockermouth Low Park, Loweswater Maureen at Gatesgarth Melbreak Hotel Merianda Mitchells, Cockermouth Moota Garden Centre New Bookshop, Cockermouth Oasis, Cockermouth Old Posting House, Dean One Stop, Cockermouth Ouse Bridge, Bassenthwaite Paper Shop, Cockermouth Parkside Hotel, Cleator Party HQ, Cockermouth Pet Shop, Cockermouth Percy House Gallery, Cockermouth Pheasant Hotel, Bassenthwaite Quince & Medlar, Cockermouth Rose Cottage B&B, Cockermouth

Royal Yew Tree Inn, Dean Sainsburys (inside), Cockermouth Sainsburys (outside), Cockermouth Scales Farm, Embleton Sheila Richardson Shepherds Arms Shills, Cockermouth Ship Inn, Dovenby Simple Drinks, Cockermouth Ski & Outdoor Warehouse, Longtown Slatefell Stores, Cockermouth Snooty Fox, Uldale Sole it, Lock it, Workington Stork Hotel, Rowrah Swan Inn, Cockermouth Swinside End, Lorton The Brow, Lorton The Howe, Mosser The Old Vicarage, Lorton Tithe Barn, Cockermouth Tourist Information, Cockermouth Travis Perkins, Cockermouth Walkinshaw Garage, Workington Wellington Farm, Cockermouth Wheatsheaf Inn, Lorton Wheatsheaf Inn, Embleton Whinlatter Visitor Centre Whitehaven Rambling Club, Whitehaven Wild Duck, Branthwaite Winder Hall, Lorton Wishes, Cockermouth Woodhouse Guest House Wordsworth Hotel, Cockermouth Wyndham Caravan Park, Cockermouth CMRT Annual Report 2014 ● 71

If you need mountain rescue, dial 999, ask for Cumbria Police, then mountain rescue

Make an on-line donation via the Charities Aid Foundation website; www.cafonline.org

www.cockermouthmrt.org.uk Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team, PO Box 73, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 3AE Design and production donated by Denise Bell & Andy Smith – Smith+Bell Design (www.smithplusbell.com)

Printed by: H&H Reeds, Penrith (www.hhreedsprinters.co.uk)