Supporting The Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team.
The Team was placed on standby this afternoon for a 15 year with a lower leg injury near to Prudhoe. After 20 minutes the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were stood down; the North East Ambulance Service confirmed they could handle the incident.
Back to enjoying the weekend!
At 1.30pm this afternoon the Team was activated through the joint calling mechanism with North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team. Northumbria Police requested Mountain Rescue assistance for a search in Chopwell Woods; a young boy with autism had been missing for an hour. Thankfully as one of our Incidents Controllers was speaking to the Police, the boy was found safe and well by his carer. A good outcome for all concerned.
The incident involved one Team member for three minutes!
At just before 4.30pm, the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were activated by Northumbria Police. A 63 year old male had become lost on Blanchland Moor whilst he was out for a walk. One of our Incident Controllers spoke to the man to try to ascertain a more precise location. Whilst MR vehicles travelled to the area, the Police air support – NPAS 33 – were tasked to search the area around Embley Fell. The walker, who by this stage was mildly hypothermic, was quickly located and evacuated by helicopter to the nearest road. The Mountain Rescue team members on scene warmed up the walker and transported him back to his car at Blanchland.
The incident involved four members and lasted 3 hours.
At 19.15hrs the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team was called to assist two mountain bikers who had become disoriented in a wood to the South East of Brough Law in the Breamish Valley.
As the Teams and Northumbria Police officers arrived at Bulby’s Wood car park they could hear shouts up on the hill. Due to the fading light the blue lights were used to guide the two mountain bikers down to our location.
They were tired and rather shaken, with a few scratches from the undergrowth in the wood they had ‘ploughed’ through! All is well that ends well.
The incident lasted 1 hour and involved 5 Team members
Earlier this afternoon the Team alongside North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team was called to assist the North East Ambulance Service. A 65 year old female walking on the St Cuthbert’s Way near Wooler, fell and damaged her lower right leg.
The Teams alongside the Paramedics evacuated the lady on a mountain rescue stretcher to the nearest road for onward transport to hospital.
The incident lasted 2.5hrs and involved 10 Team members.
At just before 2.00pm the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Teamwas called to assist the North East Ambulance Service. A 22 year female had fallen off a motorcycle in north Northumberland, near Kirknewton. She had a suspected fractured lower leg.
Due to her location we also requested the assistance of Borders Search & Rescue Unit and ultimately RAF Boulmer to fly the casualty to hospital. Possibly the last time operationally we will see the Seaking.
In total six members from three MRTs and two Land Rover ambulances were involved.
At 01.15hrs on Sunday the Team’s assistance was requested by Northumbria Police for a high risk female missing in the Bedlington area. The missing person’s car had been located at Humford Mill on the River Blyth. Along with North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team, we initiated a limited response with an Incident Controller liaising with the Police to prepare a search strategy, and a Search And Rescue Dog Association England handler and a few Team members ready to deploy to search the immediate area. As the search was about to commence, the missing person was located in hospital where she had been since late evening having given false details on arrival in an Ambulance.
Six Team members were involved for 2.5 hours.
The Team was put on standby earlier this afternoon for an injured mountain biker at Kielder. The mountain biker had injured their shoulder having come off one of the downhill trails below Deadwater Fell. Given the mountain biker’s location and nature of their injuries, Forestry Commission staff were able to assist the Paramedic to evacuate the biker to the ambulance. A total of 15 members from North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves were available to respond should we have been needed.
At 11.55hrs one of our Incident Controllers received a call from the North East Ambulance Service. A horse rider had fallen off their horse near to Newton on the Moor. The rider, who was going in and out of consciousness, was in a difficult to access location on farmland. Due to the prevailing conditions – strong winds, heavy rain – ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were requested to assist. Before the Teams deployed, the Air Ambulance was able to land near to the casualty and evacuate them. We hope the rider was not too seriously injured and makes a swift recovery.
The Team along with North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team has just stood down from an incident near to Hethpool. The North East Ambulance Service requested the assistance of both MRTs to evacuate an injured walker on the St Cuthbert’s Way. The walker had a suspected fractured leg. Whilst travelling to the scene, the Ambulance Service informed the Teams that a farmer in a 4×4 had helped to transport the walker to the awaiting ambulance.