Heroes at work as Peak District mountain rescue teams brave the snow to help others

On Friday March, 10 there were nine call-outs for Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, MRT, starting at 1.30am.

A spokesperson for Buxton MRT said: “What a busy day that was.

“The first call was received at 1.30am and the last team members stood down at 5.30pm.”

Throughout the weekend BMRT assisted Peak 4x4 Response after motorists got stuck in 7ft snow drifts.

One touching rescue was when the MRT had to extract a toddler from a vehicle stuck in the snow.

A Peak 4x4 Response spokesperson said: “Temperatures were below freezing with a bitter wind-chill factor causing blizzard like conditions.

“Like us, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team are volunteers doing our bit to help the communities we live in.

“Multiple accidents were caused by unnecessary speeds, one being witnessed that ended up through a wall after taking a sign out. Luckily the occupants were ok, but it could of easily ended up differently.

“I hope our responders are proud of themselves knowing they have also saved a few lives. It really was that dangerous out there.”

The Edale Mountain Rescue Team were just as busy in the bad weather.

At almost 9.30pm on Friday night they were called to help Yorkshire Ambulance Service with a seriously ill patient.

An Edale MRT spokesperson said: “The ambulance crew could not evacuate the patient due to deep snow, so we were requested to assist with the evacuation to the ambulance.

“Team members and two vehicles made their way to the Frechville area of Sheffield where they conveyed the patient to the ambulance.”

On Saturday March, 11 EMRT were called out at 2.30pm along with the East Midlands Ambulance Service and Helimed 54, Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, to assist a fallen boulderer near Stanage plantation.

A spokesperson said: “The boulderer had sustained an open lower leg fracture after falling from a tricky move.

“The air ambulance team were first on scene and treated the very nasty injury, managing to get it into a splint and reduced.

“Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions the land ambulance was unable to get near to Stanage edge.

“The weather deteriorated significantly with poor visibility and snow, so the helicopter had to depart and head back to its base.”

The team sledged the patient down from the edge to the road at the plantation car park, where they were transferred to a 4x4 vehicle for transport down to the waiting ambulance in Hathersage.”

All of the mountain rescue teams in the Peak District are volunteers and receive no government funding and are on call 24 hours a day every day of the year including in horrendous weather like we had last weekend with the wintery blast.

All money has to be raised by the community so if you can support them donations can be made at either buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/ or edalemrt.co.uk/ or kmrt.org.uk.

The Buxton spokesperson added: “We’d like to thank everybody we worked alongside, farmers who helped clear snowbound lanes so we could access a casualty.

Our colleagues from other emergency services, and of course, our dedicated team members, who give their time for free, without question and judgement. We thank you.”

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