Rescuers dodge fallen trees to reach wild campers
Keswick Mountain Rescue TeamTwo teenagers wild camping in the Lake District were rescued as Storm Dave swept across the country.
The Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was dispatched nearSprinkling Tarn at about 21:50 BST on Saturday.
The team had to navigate fallen trees to reach the teenagers whose tent had been destroyed by the high winds, leaving them cold, wet and stranded.
A spokesperson for the rescue team said: "High-altitude camping in a named storm carries extreme risks, not just for the campers, but for the volunteers who have to navigate blocked roads and dangerous winds to reach them."
Due to communication difficulties, two teams were deployed to the area but fallen trees blocked a road in Borrowdale, forcing the teams to divert via Portinscale.
Splitting into two groups, members approached via Grains Gill and the Sty Head path.
The teenagers were located, cold but otherwise unharmed, sheltering in the Sty Head stretcher box.
"Incidents like this [at Sprinkling Tarn] highlight why it is so important to check the weather before heading out," the spokesperson added.
During the search, the team also located a solo camper near the tarn who required an escort off the hill. All three individuals were safely walked down to Seathwaite and returned to their vehicles.
At about the same time on Saturday, four teenage boys who were intending to camp at Priest's Hole, a cave perched on the side of Dove Crag, were rescued by Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team in what was described as the "worst" of Storm Dave.
