Greenlee Lough

Incident Type: Rescue

On Wednesday, whilst enjoying the good weather, a walking group reported a medical emergency near Greenlee Lough, north of Housesteads. One of their members was becoming very unwell and was unable to walk. Fortunately, the group included a doctor and nurse, and they provided an accurate location.

Northumbria Police alerted ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and we immediately put the teams on standby. One of our emergency response vehicles was deployed along with a small team of members local to the incident rather than initiating a full callout. Our local knowledge meant we were confident that there was vehicle access to the incident site.

Given the nature of the incident, the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust were informed and a double crewed ambulance was dispatched.

Within 30 minutes, team members reached the casualty and assessed their condition before handing them over to the ambulance crew. Thanks to dry conditions and clear guidance, the ambulance was able to drive directly to the incident location.

The remaining walkers were given a lift back to their cars at Steel Rigg, and the team stood down at 14:30hrs.

The incident involved 12 team members for 2 hours 25 minutes with a further 9 members on standby.