A walker (m, 24) called for help, saying he was stranded on the summit of Whernside, couldn’t find his way off and couldn’t breathe, because of his asthma. A small group of CRO members set off on foot and a controller telephoned the ‘casualty’, several times. The only responses tailed off incoherently, so an enquiry was made for an air ambulance. Although the weather was clear on Whernside, the appropriate air ambulances were fogged in at their bases, so NYP Force Control Room staff were asked to request a Coastguard helicopter. Meanwhile, the foot party continued up the hill and a second party was set off to Ribblehead to rendez-vous with the Coastguard. At this point, the party ascending saw someone coming down, towards them and soon established that it was the person who had called for help. With no word on a helicopter, the Ribblehead party stood down and the hill party escorted the ‘misper’ back to a team vehicle. As his condition seemed to be deteriorating, they deemed it unwise to dump their patient at his car to drive home and asked for a YAS paramedic to re-assess him. The paramedic in the YAS Rapid Response Vehicle called in a road ambulance and the team stood down.
Team members were of the view that he had totally inadequate clothing and footwear which contributed to his being so cold that he said his feet, legs and face were ‘frozen’. Hence he could hardly speak.
Volunteer hours: 36