Jamie’s Crags, Kielder

Incident Type: Rescue

On Friday, ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team responded to a request for assistance from Northumbria Police after two walkers became lost near Kielder.

The incident was handled swiftly through a coordinated response between the both teams and Northumbria Police with additional resources held on standby in case the situation escalated.

Thanks to clear communication and accurate information from the walkers, the teams were able to locate them quickly and safely.

The two walkers had left their vehicle at Kielder Castle at approximately 15.00hrs to follow one of the walking trails. They became disoriented and, with no mobile signal other than being able to call 999, contacted emergency services.

Although PhoneFind could not be used, the walkers were able to provide an accurate location using a compass app on their phone and stayed in regular contact with police thanks to sufficient battery life.

Based on the information provided, their location was believed to be on a drivable track around 300 metres north of Jamie’s Craggs. Given the fading light and deteriorating weather conditions, a limited response was agreed, and blue lights were authorised for rapid access.

Both teams deployed vehicles from their respective bases, collecting additional personnel at the rendezvous point at Kielder Castle. From there, a team accessed the track via East Kielder and drove approximately two kilometres southwest, locating the walkers without difficulty. The walkers, who were cold and wet but otherwise unharmed, had followed advice to stay put, making the job of locating them much easier. They were transported back to their vehicle, and the teams returned safely to base.

This incident is a strong reminder of the value of staying calm, conserving phone battery, and following emergency guidance when lost.

The incident involved 12 Team members for 3 hours and 11 minutes. A further 11 members were on standby in readiness to deploy if the incident escalated.