Yeavering Bell, near Wooler

Incident Type: Rescue

Not long after the response vehicles returned to base, Northumbria Police requested the assistance from ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team for an injured walker on Yeavering Bell. A lady had been walking with relatives and as they were descending the hill, the lady sustained a lower leg injury and was unable to weight bear.

Once again the Teams were swiftly mobilised, with RVP at Old Yeavering.

In under an hour Curlew Echo was at the forward RVP above Old Yeavering with team members deploying onto the hill with the medical bag, patient monitor, winter casualty bag and a group bag. After about 15 minutes the hill party was on scene with the casualty and their relatives.

The casualty was assessed, treated and stabilised by a mountain rescue Paramedic and Remote Rescue Medical Technicians, while other members determined the best evacuation route.

Two options were considered – Plan A a helicopter evacuation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency or Plan B a 200m steep slope lower while sledging the stretcher to the access field below the incident site. Kit and personnel were requested for Plan B while a request was made for helicopter support. With all available helicopters tasked, Plan B was enacted.

Team members quickly began the rigging of two steep slope systems.

Once the casualty was packaged on the Bell stretcher, members sledged the stretcher down to the electric fence (thankfully switched off!) at the foot of the steep slope. Having crossed the fence, the casualty was then transferred to Curlew Echo for the steep offroad drive down to Old Yeavering.

The teams then handed over the casualty to a North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust double crewed ambulance for onward transport to hospital.