Castlerigg Fell (19)

Callout Date: 03/03/2025
Callout Time: 7:17 pm
Agencies Involved: Keswick MRT, Coast Guard R192

The Police received a call from a concerned woman reporting her seventy year old husband, an experienced mountain walker, had failed to return from a planned walk. The man had left details of his intended route with his wife so a search plan could be formulated. Search paths were initiated from Rakefoot Farm to follow various possible routes of the intended walk and the ground in between, also an approach from the Naddle Valley side to cover the Shoulthwaite/Bracken Riggs slopes below Dodd Crag. Further team members covered the ground between the Stone Circle and Rakefoot Farm. Many thanks to Coast Guard helicopter R192 who performed an aerial search of a large area of deep heather-clad fellside. The teams returned to base shortly after midnight after performing as best a search as possible considering limited numbers and complex ground with the intention of continuing with a multi-team search in daylight.
Around this time a team member was walking her dog in Threlkeld Quarries when she came upon the missing man. His phone battery had unfortunately died after using navigation apps so phone contact could not be made during the search. A team medic was sent to assess and collect the man who was brought back to base and then collected by his wife.

22 team members – 6 hours 12 minutes