A dog walker fell to his death from Helvellyn, prompting a massive search effort in harsh weather conditions
Cockermouth: A dog walker lost his life after falling nearly 600 feet from Helvellyn in the Lake District. It’s such a tragic story.
The man, whose name hasn’t been released, went missing after heading out with his labrador. His wife reported him missing when she noticed his phone hadn’t moved for hours.
Mountain rescue teams searched for two days in terrible weather before they found him. Thankfully, his black lab was found safe on a ledge nearby.
Rescuers were alerted by Cumbria Police after the wife tracked her husband’s phone. She thought he might have gone out on his bike from their holiday home in Grasmere.
Seven mountain rescue teams scoured the area, focusing on the last known signal from his phone. They even sent out two coastguard helicopters, but the weather made it tough to reach the site.
They found his bike and phone near the edge of the summit. The rescue teams faced awful conditions, and at one point, they had to pause the search for safety.
When the search resumed, teams used ropes to navigate down to Red Tarn, where they found the dog safe. Sadly, they discovered the man’s body nearby, and it seems he died from head injuries.
After a long 20-hour operation over two days, his body was brought down and handed over to the police. A total of 68 rescuers and three search dogs were involved in this effort.
The Patterdale mountain rescue team expressed their condolences to the family and thanked everyone who helped in the search. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the risks involved in outdoor activities.
