June 2008
The John Scott takes to Ullswater as supporters, visitors and Team members watch from Raven, one of the Ullswater Steamers.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) named and launched their new rescue boat The John Scott on Thursday evening at a moving ceremony attended by Lindsay Scott, widow of past Chairman, bosun and Supporters Club founder, John Scott (Scotty).
Supporters, Team members and members of John's family gathered at Glenridding by Ullswater to see the boat named, blessed and launched.
"The ceremony marked the end of several months work and an awful lot of fundraising," explained Dave Watkinson, the current Team bosun. "The John Scott (call sign Patrick Scotty) is bigger and much better than our previous boat and similar to an inshore life boat. We've been asked why a Mountain Rescue Team needs a boat but we've actually already had to use it three times in recent weeks to get Team members over to injured people on the far side of the lake and bring them back to the road as quickly as we can."
Just before the boat was launched on to the Lake, Bishop Ian Griggs, who lives in Patterdale and is a member of the Team, blessed The John Scott and dedicated it to the work of rescue.
Dave Watkinson then took Team Chairman, Tim Jones, Lindsay, Alastair and Claire Scott out on to Ullswater to experience The John Scott in action.
"I took over from John as Chairman," said Tim Jones in his brief speech, "and I was always in awe of him. He was a great man and I was proud to know him and work with him on the Team. The new rescue boat is, we hope, a suitable tribute to a great man." Dave Freeborn, who was the Team Leader whilst John was a member of the team praised John's untiring work for the Team and recalled some remarkable feats of rescue work in which john had been involved. Martin Cotterel, current Team Leader also made a short tribute speech and only wished he had had the chance to know John for a longer period.
The Team would like to thank everyone who has helped and contributed to the fundraising for The John Scott..
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By Pamela McGowan
A CUMBRIAN fell walker and his dog had to be airlifted to safety after becoming stuck on a narrow ledge near a cliff top in failing light.
The 31-year-old man from Brampton, together with his labrador dog, was out walking on cliffs at Scrubby Cragg on Deepdale, Patterdale, yesterday.
He slipped onto a ledge and could not climb back up.
He was in cloud, in failing light conditions above a long drop. Ground conditions were also heavily frozen.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team received a call for help at around 3pm and a Sea King helicopter from Boulmer was also called in to assist.
Initially, four team members were airlifted to the cloud base, while two others climbed to the top of the ridge above the casualty.
They managed to find the man but had to place abseil ropes over treacherous ground in order to reach him.
The conditions meant ice axes and crampons were also needed during the rescue.
Once the rescuers reached the man, using new GPS tracking technology, they were able to use the ropes to move him some way up the crag.
The cloud level also started to rise, enabling the helicopter to return to the scene and winch him to safety. Neither he nor the dog were injured.
It was the second time Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team were called out at the weekend as a result of weather-related incidents.
On Saturday they rescued a 51-year-old north east woman who had slipped on an icy path while descending Grisdale Tarn, near Ullswater, and injured her ankle.
Volunteers managed to locate her and splint the ankle, which had a suspected fracture, before carrying her on a stretcher down to an awaiting ambulance. She was then taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for treatment.
The team is now warning walkers to be extra careful when out at this time of year. They say the current high pressure and low temperatures mean conditions, even at low levels, can be very icy and slippery.
They are also emphasising the need to carry an ice axe, crampons and head torch when out on the fells.
From: Sheffield Star, 6 March,
Near-death experience has changed my life (See Update below)
A severe head injury almost claimed Matthew Lee's life. But he says the near-death experience was the best thing that ever happened to him. Health writer Kate Lahive reports
In October 2002 Matthew Lee was about to start a new life - but not in quite the way he expected. His marriage had recently broken down, his "dream house" in Crosspool had been sold, and he was aware his materialistic lifestyle had not brought him happiness. Matthew, aged 34, said: "We had a great life - we had the house we wanted in Crosspool, the holidays, the cars - and the credit cards. All our friends thought we were the perfect couple. But I now know we were living a lie because we were never 100 per cent happy."
On the day he collected the keys to his new home in Crookes, which he thought would bring him a fresh start, Matthew and a group of five friends set off to the Lake District to spend the day mountain biking. The group, all experienced cyclists, took two or three hours to cycle to the top of Helvellyn and were nearly at the end of their scenic descent when Matthew became the victim of a freak accident. He said: "I shot off in front of the five other guys, they couldn't keep up with me. I was going over boulders at about 30mph. Then the front wheel fell off the bike. I landed on my head, shattering my helmet and was completely out of it."
Fortunately, his friends knew what to do. One raced down the mountain to summon help while two other friends, who are doctors, were able to support him until more help arrived. Luckily a mountain rescue team was already in the area and was on the scene within 10 minutes. Matthew's condition was classified as number three in an index showing the seriousness of an injury - at number four he would have been certified dead. He suffered head injuries, eye damage and a fractured shoulder and was airlifted to a Carlisle hospital. The speedy journey meant he was on a ventilator just 51 minutes after the accident. Arriving in hospital within 60 minutes of an accident - which medics describe as the 'golden hour' - increases a patient's chances of survival.
Even so, the news was not good. His head had swollen to twice its normal size. Matthew's parents and two brothers were told the next 48 hours were crucial and he could live or die. Meanwhile Matthew was oblivious to all that was going on around him. He said: "Everything was completely black. When people spoke I'd see words - like the words coming down on the screen in Star Wars." Steadily he began to recover and within weeks he was transferred to the Northern General Hospital's Osborne four ward, where he describes the staff as "fantastic". His memory was affected - he couldn't remember where he lived, although he did have a visual memory. When he was taken to his parents' house in Lodge Moor, he only began to recognise the area when they were in the right road. Matthew had to learn how to drive again and relearn the routes to his friends' homes which had been second nature.
Yet, although the whole experience was horrific for his family and friends, Matthew said for him it turned out to be a positive experience. He said: "My friends had the grief and uncertainty to cope with, I had the support and love of my friends. I had done a lot of work for St Thomas' in Crookes and later found out that 2,000 people had prayed for me to get better. "I've changed as a person. I stopped being materialistic and I started to realise that life is about people not about places. You don't need a posh house as long as you've got a place to stay. It's the people inside who count. For the first time in my life I'm completely happy." Now Matthew says he appreciates being able to do ordinary things in life, like being able to see, get dressed, get to work and to have been able to resume his job as a financial adviser.
During his recovery Matthew decided he wanted run a marathon in four hours for the mountain rescue team who helped him on that fateful day in Cumbria. Now he is training for the London Marathon on April 18 and is currently clocking up around 45 miles a week. Matthew said: "Life is fantastic. I would not change what has happened." He hopes to raise at least £1,000 for Patterdale Mountain Rescue. The service receives no Government funding and is staffed by trained volunteers, relying on donations to maintain the service.
Anyone who would like to support Matthew can make a donation via www.mountainrescue.org.uk (making full use of the Gift Aid Scheme) or go to any branch of the Halifax bank and made a donation to Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association, account number d/94577053/5.
Congratulations to Mathew who completed the London Marathon in 5hrs and 15 seconds. After the event Mathew said, in a telephone conversation to the Chairman John Scott, "It was the hardest thing I have ever done"
The sponsorship that Mathew will have raised for the New Landrover Ambulance appeal is expected to exceed his target of £1000.
Well done Mathew from all of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team.
New tyres and wheels for Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team Ambulances were recently donated by Carlisle company Pirelli Tyres
Chairman of the Rescue association, John Scott presented John Nixon, Industrial director of Pirelli Carlisle with a team shield in return at a special handover ceremony.
Pirelli's contribution has also helped to reduce the cost of a new purpose built vehicle for which the team is trying to raise £24,000 to purchase.
Team Leader, Dave Freeborn said he was delighted with the donation ...the team's vehicles spend much of their time off road and these wheels and tyres will ensure maximum grip when the going gets tough, especially in winter.
John Nixon, Industrial
Director of Pirelli Carlisle and his Personal Assistant Toni Forshaw-Myers
receive a plaque from John Scott, Chairman of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association