Event ‘risk list’ to be set up after Cumbrian fell run rescue

Emergency services in Cumbria will form a priority risk list of all events after thousands of fell runners taking part in an organised event in the Lake District became stranded during atrocious weather last month.

Cumbria Local Resilience Forum, which is made up of the police, the ambulance service, the RAF and coastguard and the Primary Care Trust, decided on the list yesterday to try to prevent a similar washout.

The meeting was held to discuss the rescue efforts in the aftermath of the Original Mountain Marathon which sparked a massive rescue operation after heavy downpours caused chaos.

Public events throughout the county that are thought to present a risk, such as the marathon, will now be prioritised to allow all agencies to prepare for the possibility of having to be called out.

A spokesman for the forum said: “Following a debate, it was agreed that the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum would establish an event list. A risk prioritisation of each event disclosed to us could then be undertaken, and if a multi-agency response is required, the relevant agencies can come together and plan their response accordingly.”

More than 2,000 fell runners were forced to seek emergency shelter during the race in Borrowdale.

About a dozen were taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries or hypothermia while the rest were eventually all accounted for.

Following the rescue police and mountain rescue workers said they were disappointed that organisers did not call off the race due to the bad weather. But organisers hit back and defended their decision refuting claims that both police and mountain rescue teams had advised against it.

Tags: bad weather, Cumbria, Emergency, event, reescue, risk-list

Category: Event Industry News