Cumbrian rescuers stumble on badly injured cyclist

The woman suffered head and shoulder injuries when she fell from bike while descending into Buttermere village on Friday.

She was found by Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team (MRT), who were on their way to a rescue on Haystacks, above Buttermere, where a man had slipped and injured his ankle.

The Cockermouth team had already asked Keswick MRT to help them with the walker rescue as they were low on volunteers, so Cockermouth decided to stay with the cyclist while Keswick went to help the walker.

Due to the serious nature of the cyclist's injuries, the Great North Air Ambulance Service were called. The charity's helicopter flew the cyclist to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for further treatment.

Meanwhile, Keswick MRT continued onto the initial rescue and found a 35-year-old man who was taking part in a 24 Peaks Challenge, a two-day walk of 31 miles. He had broken his ankle between Innominate Tarn and Black Beck Tarn.

Keswick MRT wrote on their Facebook: "Fortunately there was a doctor on scene, and the weather was clear.

"Although the team were low on numbers, the casualty was soon splinted and packaged, and the team started off back to the vehicles."

As soon as the Cockermouth team had finished with the incident at Buttermere, they came up to help Keswick.

The teams transferred the injured walker at Honister Mine to paramedics with the North West Ambulance Service, which drove him to West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven for further treatment.

Andrew McNeil, Cockermouth MRT leader, thanked Keswick MRT for their help.

He said: “It’s always reassuring to know we can call on neighbouring teams, to help us out in situations where we are short on numbers.

"No doubt we’ll be returning the favour before too long."

Extra team members from Cockermouth went to help Keswick MRT with a rescue just a few days before on Sunday, May 14, when a 64-year-old woman had slipped and seriously injured her ankle at Coledale near Braithwaite.