UKH

Stoners Spark Big Fat ...Mountain Rescue

© cathsullivan
Dan Bailey UKH

This has been read 15,110 times

A group of walkers escaped by the skin of their teeth in the Lake District at the weekend when one of their number got too high on cannabis to come back down without assistance.

Burnmoor Tarn © cathsullivan
Burnmoor Tarn
© cathsullivan, Nov 2008

Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team were sent to retrieve the group of four men from... wait for it... Burnmoor Tarn (seriously), at the foot of Scafell, after they found their faculties blunted.

After the joint operation, Cumbria Constabulary took to Facebook to vent:

"Persons phoning Cumbria Police because they are stuck on a mountain, after taking cannabis. Now having to deploy M'tain Rescue, Air support and Ambulance to rescue them. Words fail us..."

It's easy to laugh - we couldn't resist - but it's worth pointing out that the team, which is made up entirely of dedicated volunters, responded to five incidents this weekend alone; this was the only one wacky enough to make national news.

This post has been read 15,110 times

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Comments

Jimbo C
25 Sep, 2017
Is there ever a situation where mountain rescue should decide not to give assistance? e.g. in this case, the group was on easy terrain, not far from their 'base' and with night time weather forecast to be mild and dry. It would be a tough call to make and I suppose there are any number of 'what ifs' that end up with a call out being the only option in a lot of cases.
elliptic
25 Sep, 2017
It does happen sometimes eg. Wasdale team incident report from August 23rd ... Another lost-but-otherwise-okay group was directed off the hill by phone on the same day, which happens quite often when they can get GPS co-ords off the callers phone.
Doghouse
25 Sep, 2017
On Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 now! :)
sweetpea
25 Sep, 2017
Unbelievable..... the MRT have put themselves at risk to rescue these idiots, whilst other far more worthy cases are potentially missed - I hope they send them the bill for all costs incurred.... :( SP
tom84
25 Sep, 2017
you sound like the daily mail. intentionally climbing off the ground and placing yourself in danger on purpose for fun is a dumb idea as well- but its ok for you to be rescued because us climbers are in pursuit of some noble cause. MRT exist to get people to safety from the mountains and crags, and they volunteer to do it because they are good people sharing valuable skill and time. just because someones an idiot doesn't mean they should be ignored when in need. to reiterate- they are stupid, mountain rescue are an incredible thing, you sound like the daily mail.
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