Consett and Whickham

Incident Type: Rescues

A busy last Wednesday afternoon for our volunteers and our sister teams.

Early on Wednesday afternoon, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team were called by the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust to assist a casualty who had slipped down an embankment in woodland near Consett, sustaining a suspected lower leg injury.

With a potentially difficult evacuation ahead, ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were called to support, while the ambulance service’s Hazardous Area Response Team was also mobilised.

While our volunteers were travelling, a second call came in: another casualty had fallen in woodland near Whickham and sustained a suspected leg injury. Resources were redirected to respond to this incident, with our duty controllers coordinating support across both locations.

Once Teesdale & Weardale confirmed they had sufficient personnel at Consett, the remaining volunteers from ourselves and North of Tyne were redirected to Whickham. There, team members helped ambulance clinicians care for the casualty before carrying them by stretcher to the waiting ambulance.

Meanwhile, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team received a further call to an incident near Bowlees — highlighting just how busy the afternoon was across our region.

We wish both casualties a comfortable and speedy recovery.

Our incidents involved 19 team members for 2hrs 51mins