Rescue team fall victim faces life in wheelchair Appeal raises £800,000
AMOUNTAIN rescue volunteer who fell 500ft while trying to reach two men who breached lockdown rules is expected to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Chris Lewis, 60, a former deputy headboy at the King’s School, fell while on a call-out to Red Screes above Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District in the early hours of Saturday, February 6.
His Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team had been called out to help a 47-year-old man from Leicester who was camping with another man from Liverpool.
The casualty, who was taken to hospital with chest pains and quickly recovered, and his companion were fined for breaching Covid travel restrictions.
A fundraising drive has now been launched to help Mr Lewis – who suffered multiple facial fractures and damaged his spinal cord – with recovery, rehabilitation and care.
It raised more than £800,000 since it was set up
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, chairman of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, Richard Warren, said: “I’ve been in mountain rescue for a very long time and this is the worst accident I have seen in the last four decades, it really is hitting people hard.
“But the support is fantastic and we want to pass our thanks to everybody who has sent messages of support.”
He described Mr Lewis, who used to work at AstraZeneca, as a ‘fantastic guy’ and said after he was airlifted to accident and emergency the first thing he asked was how the other casualty was.
A statement on a JustGiving page set up to raise funds said: “Whilst the team was making its way to the casualty, Chris Lewis, an experienced team member, fell 150 metres down a steep slope, sustaining lifechanging injuries.
“Chris was given immediate medical attention by fellow team members and airlifted to hospital where he remains in a serious condition.
“The original casualty was taken to hospital where he quickly recovered. The casualty and his companion had travelled from outside Cumbria and were fined for contravening Covid travel restrictions.
“Chris is one of 40 volunteers in Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team, from all walks of life and a wide range of ages.
“The team typically responds to approximately 70 incidents a year, usually, but not always, with less tragic consequences.
“The severity of Chris’s injuries cannot be overstated and he will need . significant support for the rest of his life.”
To donate go to www. justgiving. com/ campaign/Chris-Lewis-Support- Fund- LDSAMRAPatterdale-MRT.