Mountain Rescue

I've walked thousands of miles with my walking partner, Ross.  In that time blisters have been the worst of any injury.  Today was different.  I heard the fall, looked back, saw the expression and knew we weren't going anywhere soon.  I'd like to tell you it was an epic fall, but to be honest it was on relatively flat ground and on reflection was probably caused by Ross's right foot slipping off a small eroded edge of grass next to the path.

It immediately was apparent he couldn't walk.  We were by Pym Chair, above the Edale Valley in the Peak District at about 2,000 feet.  The nearest road was about 2 miles away.  We called emergency services and were asked a few questions and told to wait and keep warm.  Someone would be coming.  That was at 12:00 pm.  We got a brew on, ate our sandwiches and waited.  About an hour and a half later we heard a helicopter, hope was raised, but it flew by and off to the north.  We then got a phone call.  Mountain rescue was on its way.  they would be with us in about 20 minutes.

When they arrived, they seemed to come from all directions.  From along the path to the west, but also magically from beneath us, having climbed a ridiculously steep hillside from the track below.  First there were two, then five and before you knew it a dozen people were surrounding Ross.

You could not have felt in better hands.  The teams from Buxton and Kinder Mountain Rescue were simply magnificent.  They immobilised the ankle, which seemed to be the main area of injury, then proceeded to assemble a sledge to get Ross off the mountainside.  Every step was meticulous, from assessment, to initial treatment and then moving him on to the sledge and wrapping him up ready for the descent.  They even provided goggles to protect his eyes!

The descent was incredible; at times rope was deployed and a small team slowly lowered him down the steeper slopes.  We literally made a b-line straight down to the waiting vehicles.  It took two hours from them arriving until we reached the paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service waiting in the valley.

He was then transported to Macclesfield General Hospital, where he was seen immediately, x-rayed before waiting for treatment.  Four hours later we were on the way home, a fracture of the ankle diagnosed, a soft cast applied and crutches supplied.

I was mightily impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the people of the Mountain Rescue Teams, East Midlands Ambulance and Macclesfield General hospital A&E.  As a bystander for most of the rescue, I documented the treatment and descent, even putting up the drone for some video.  It may be very cheesy, but I've put together a small film of the rescue and am sharing it with the teams.