Helvellyn (3)

Incident No: 3

Date: 12th January 2015

Time: 08:00

Location: Helvellyn

Incident Details: Police contacted Keswick and Patterdale teams late on the 11th, after a 50 year old man was reported as not having returned to his accommodation. He had stated that he might go up Helvellyn. Later analysis of his mobile phone transmissions showed that it had not been used for two days, and that it had transmitted to a mast on the northern end of Ullswater. Patterdale Team organised a search of their side of Helvellyn, which seemed to be the most obvious area, with their Team, Lake District Search Dogs and an MR Team from RAF Leeming, in gale force winds, rain and darkness, it was a daunting task. The Teams stood down at 2300, and restarted at first light. Keswick team with three search dogs searched the areas to the west of the summit, whilst Patterdale, with the help of more search dogs, Penrith and Kirkby Stephen teams, scoured the east side, in wet and atrociously windy conditions. The man’s body was discovered high on the headwall above Red Tarn simultaneously by a search dog and the rescue helicopter. He had fallen some distance. Such were the condtions that the helicopter was unable to recover the body, so he was evacuated down to the valley by Patterdale Team.
25 members, 3 search dog teams – 4 hours 30 minutes.