Husband and wife fall in Lake District

Posted: December 30, 2013

Posted in: Personal Injury Public Place Accidents 

Both husband and wife were airlifted to hospital after both falling from the same spot while out walking in the Lake District on Sunday afternoon.  A passerby witnessed the incident, saying that first the man fell from Swirral Edge in Brown Cove, followed by his wife who slipped when trying to reach him.  The witness had been in the middle of phoning 999 when he watched the woman fall from the same spot as her husband.

It was believed by Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team that the woman had been trying to reach down to help her husband when she also slipped from the edge on Helvellyn. When accessed by the mountain rescue team, both husband and wife were taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle by air ambulance.

RAF mountain rescue

The rescue involved a total of 13 volunteers who worked alongside volunteers from the Calder Valley and Kendal mountain rescue teams and the RAF mountain rescue service.  Eventually, the couple were flown to hospital by a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.

Initially, rescue teams disregarded the fact that the weather could have contributed to the accident. However, when on the hill, high winds and a wintry climate were experienced, and could have caused the woman to fall after her husband.

Patterdale deputy leader Dan Farley said they had been “extremely lucky”.  He said that if people are out walking in the hills, they are urged to bring winter walking equipment, including crampons and a torch.

If you have sustained an injury in a public place, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us. 

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