‘Ill-equipped’ walkers travel 60 miles to climb mountain
‘Incredibly fortunate to come through unhurt’
TWO ‘ill-equipped’ walkers travelled more than 60 miles to scale a mountain summit during lockdown.
Police said the couple, from Rochdale, were ‘incredibly fortunate’ to have escaped unhurt in ‘treacherous’ weather conditions.
They were rescued by specialist mountaineers in the Yorkshire Dales on Sunday.
Police said driving ‘miles and miles out of your village town or city to visit an open space’ was not a ‘necessary journey’ - as Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the region and across the country.
A car load of Cheshire teenagers were stopped by police over the weekend after travelling 70 miles to climb a mountain in Wales at night.
The rescue is the latest in a series of incidents where walkers have been helped to safety after driving out of their areas to visit beauty spots. Police have now urged people to ‘really consider their actions.’
North Yorkshire Police, which handed out more than 70 fines for Covid regulation breaches this weekend alone, said the unnamed couple got into difficulty in poor weather at the 724 metre-high summit of Ingleborough.
The force said officers also had to turn away numerous ‘out-of-area’ visitors who had come ‘for a drive’ or ‘to look at the snow.’
A spokesman said the pair contacted police at 4.30pm after they lost their way due to failing light, lowlying fog and ice and snow.
They were eventually brought to safety by the Cave Rescue Organisation.
Superintendent Mike Walker said: “This couple were incredibly fortunate to have come through this experience without injury and be able to tell the tale.
“We very clearly advised members of the public this weekend to stay at home and when taking exercise, stay local to stop the spread of Covid.
“Quite simply driving miles and miles, out of your village, town or city to visit an open space is not a necessary journey and is not acceptable. Neither is arriving at a challenging walking location, inexperienced and unprepared in treacherous weather conditions.
“By making an irresponsible and ill-informed decision, the safety of others, such as the Cave Rescue Organisation volunteers, is also put in jeopardy and if any injury resulted, pressure upon already stretched NHS resources.”
Mr Walker said officers in the Craven district of the Yorkshire Dales had been ‘run off their feet’ speaking to visitors and encouraging them to return home.
He said: “I would ask people to really consider their actions and the decisions they are making.”
“Please think carefully about your actions and ensure you do not put yourself or others at risk or add any more pressure to already stretched emergency services.”
Julia Mulligan,
North
Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “The rules and regulations are already very clear but there is a significant minority who seem to think they don’t apply to them.”
She added: “The vaccines being rolled out give us hope for the future but, for now, each and every one of us needs to take responsibility for protecting our NHS and saving lives.”