A family who were cycling in the Cheviots reported themselves in distress at the Yearning Saddle Rescue Hut on the border ridge. Alongside North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team, we mobilised and made our way to the rescue hut. There was no sign of the family however, and a number of routes in the surrounding area were searched. As the search area extended, the Border Search and Rescue Unit also mobilised who located the family safe and well at 02:20 in a tent at Calroust.
The incident involved 18 MRT members on the English side of the border for 6 hours.
As Team members were settling down for a Friday night in, Border Search and Rescue Unit requested our support for an overdue walker on the #PennineWay. As part of our agreed #CrossBorder procedure, North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves responded. The walker in his 70s had been last seen at Phillip’s Cross as they headed along the Border Ridge towards Cocklawfoot in the Bowmont Water valley on the Scottish side.
This gave us an initial linear route of 25km to search in the dark!
As temperatures were falling to zero degrees on the tops of the hills, hasty teams from both sides of the Border and a Search And Rescue Dog Association England team were deployed. A #Coastguard helicopter was also requested to assist.
Whilst other members were travelling to Upper Coquetdale in Northumberland National Park, news came in that the walker had made their way safely off the hill to Barrowburn farm. He had made a ‘slight’ navigational error near #WindyGyle, heading south into England instead of north into Scotland. Oops!
A big ‘thank you’ to the farmer and his wife at Barrowburn for the much needed cups of tea!
Date: 27 August 2017
Time: 18.33hrs
Location: Auchope Shelter
The busy Bank Holiday weekend continues. A female walker had sustained a knee injury and was unable to weight bare whilst walking in The Cheviots. The injured walker and her three companions decided to call for the assistance of Mountain Rescue and took shelter in the Auchope refuge hut on the Border Ridge.
North of Tyne MRT and ourselves swiftly responded with two local members travelling direct to the College Valley and two Team Land Rovers from our respective bases with two Team members on board each. The RVP was Mounthooly bunkhouse.
In parallel Border Search & Rescue Unit deployed from the Scottish side of the border with two Landrovers. They intended to approach the refuge from the Bowmont valley whilst we approached from the upper College valley.
Thankfully for us the Estate Manager for College Valley and a colleague were able to assist by transporting a Team member onto the hill in their ATV. The ATV was then used to evacuate the injured walker and one other member of the party. Our Team member then walked the other two members of the party off the hill before being transported the remainder of the journey back to Mounthooly in a Team Land Rover.
The walkers were then transported in a Team Land Rover (or taxi!) back to their car in the Harthope Valley. They never quite made it to the top of The Cheviot – their objective for the day – so we hope they’ll be back up this way again once our casualty has made a full recovery.
We would particularly like to thank Steven and Mark from the College Valley Estate for their assistance during this rescue.
Date: 05 July 2017
Time: 09.00 hrs
Location: Yearning Saddle, near Lamb Hill
The Team was requested to assist with the evacuation of a walker from the mountain refuge shelter at Yearning Saddle just below Lamb Hill by the North East Ambulance Service yesterday morning. The lone walker had spent the night in the shelter and was suffering from severe abdominal pains. Two other walkers who had also spent the night at the shelter raised the alarm.
The Team and North of Tyne MRT responded immediately from the south and Border Search & Rescue Unit were requested to deploy from the north side of the Border ridge. A member of our controller group was swiftly to the RVP at Blindburn and in discussion with our Incident Officer, who was operating remotely, agreed to proceed with a NEAS Community Paramedic to the casualty.
Thankfully the farmers from Blindburn and Fulhope came to our assistance. Whilst our 4x4s we’re still en-route they provided us with the off-road capability required to get us up the hill.
Whilst all of this was happening the NEAS HART with their Polaris was travelling to the RVP and the MCA helicopter from Prestwick had been deployed. At this stage we had no confirmed condition of the casualty.
Twenty minutes are deploying from Blindburn, a Team member and the Paramedic were in-scene with the casualty. After the initial assessment, the walker was safely evacuated from the hill in the farmer’s pick-up. Skilful driving which saved a lot of leg work!
We hope the walker makes a swift and full recovery. We would like to thank all the agencies involved for their swift and coordinated response and pay particular thanks to the farmers who assisted with evacuation. Much appreciated.
Date: 2 March 2017
Time: 18.45hrs
Location: Border Ridge
At 18.30hrs yesterday Police Scotland requested the assistance of Border Search & Rescue Unit to locate two Danish walkers on the Border Ridge. The walkers were believed to be between Auchope Cairn and Windy Gyle.
The teams south of the border – North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves – were alerted by BSARU. One of our controller group sent a SARLOC message to the walkers. Thankfully this time it worked – the poor mobile reception in the area affects whether the system works.
Armed with the exact location it was agreed to despatch a group from the north side of the border to locate and evacuate the walkers. The walkers were swiftly located and walked off the hill to a waiting ATV. They were cold, but otherwise no worse for their ordeal.
As you’ll see from the SARLOC fix below the walkers weren’t too far away from the location of the 10 walkers involved in Incident No.8.
A 70 year male fell and sustained a lower leg injury whilst walking on the Pennine Way, late on Saturday afternoon. He was near the end of a two week journey from Edale in the Peak District.
Mountain Rescue Teams from both sides of the Border were activated; Border Search & Rescue Unit by Police Scotland, and North of Tyne MRT and ourselves by the North East Ambulance Service.
Due to the hill fog and driving rain a helicopter evacuation was not possible. However, the casualty’s location meant that the Border’s team could drive up to the Border Ridge. Whilst we on the other hand had to walk or run!
The casualty was treated and evacuated to an ambulance on the north side of the Border. A successful outcome in horrendous conditions.
Photos courtesy of BSARU.
A total of 12 members were involved for four hours.
Two short lived incidents in a day! The Team along with North of Tyne MRT was contacted by Northumbria Police at 22.50hrs for an overdue walker in the College Valley.
The owner of the Mounthooly Bunkhouse had contacted the Police after a walker failed to turn up. The walker in his 60s had left, late morning, to walk along the Border Ridge to Windy Gyle and back. After it baca me dark the owner of the bunkhouse, quite rightly, became increasingly concerned for the lone walker’s wellbeing.
As one of our Incident Controllers was speaking to the Police, the walker arrived back at the bunkhouse – safe, tired and rather late for his dinner!
All done and dusted very quickly and without anyone needing to leave home! We like these sort of incidents.
The incident involved two Team members for 15 minutes.
Over the years, many people have been glad to see the two shelters, built by the Northumberland National Park Authority, on the Border Ridge. Thanks to the Authority, new signs informing walkers, fell runners and other outdoor enthusiasts ‘what to do in an emergency’ will very shortly be in place at each of the shelters.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
