How to survive a mountain emergency

Q What course of action would you recommend if I get into trouble on the hill? Jamie Williams, Hereford

Paul says If you find yourself in a hill emergency, stop in a safe place and assess whether you can self-help or require emergency services. If in a group, ensure everyone is safe and give first aid to any casualties. Insulate the group using a survival shelter and establish your location, noting your grid reference and a description of your surroundings.

If you decide you need help, dial 999 or 112, ask for police and then request mountain rescue for the area you are in. Provide the call handler with details of: your name, mobile number, location, number of people in your group (plus ages and gender), details of any casualties, weather, and any obvious features in the surrounding landscape. If you don’t know your exact location, describe what you can see and your last known location.

Follow any instructions given and, presuming it’s safe, it is best to stay put inside your shelter. Activate a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) if you have one. Also, if you have lights leave them on, preferably flashing, so you can easily be found, but be patient – it may take a few hours for a rescue team to reach you.

If you have no mobile signal or PLB and you think it’s appropriate, select your two most competent hillwalkers and navigators to take the safest, quickest route to a place they can contact the emergency services. They should take with them their gear and details of the casualty party’s location.