Major rescue near Lancaster after man falls 40ft into river

It took rescue teams 45 minutes to find the 33-year-old man, who had fallen 40ft - including down a vertical drop - near the Scout Hut in Littledale.
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Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team received a call from North West Ambulance Service at around 6pm on Sunday August 30, to reports that a man had fallen down a slope.

The full team of 21 members rushed to the scene and said it was "very clear from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be a normal call out incident."

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The location of the man was initially unknown, so a search was launched, and he was found on some fallen trees in a river 45 minutes later.

The man is located and put in a stretcher. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.The man is located and put in a stretcher. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.
The man is located and put in a stretcher. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.

A spokesperson said: "After approximately 45 minutes of searching the area, which included very steep ground and a river, team members located him.

"He was found in the river and had landed on some washed up trees and leaves, he had fallen some 40 foot, the last part being a vertical drop.

"Due to the very steep ground, which was hampered by fallen trees, the rescue team had to use rope rescue equipment to evacuate him.

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"After a medical assessment by our Team Medical Officer and Team Doctor, he was then packaged up into a mountain rescue Vacuum mattress and then pulled up the steep ground on the mountain rescue Bell stretcher using rope systems and manpower!

Rescuers at the scene. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.Rescuers at the scene. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.
Rescuers at the scene. Photo: Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.

"Due to his injuries, we requested the help of the Coastguard helicopter to evacuate him once we had successfully rescued him to a point where we could transfer him into the helicopter and then onward to Preston Royal Infirmary.

"A big thank you to our Team members and the Coastguard for what was a very difficult rescue last night."

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