Rescue – Sutton Bank

FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2021 (1304 HOURS)

We were asked to assist the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) near to Sutton Bank. They were dealing with a woman who had fallen and injured her lower left leg whilst walking on one of the paths leading down to Gormire Lake, below the Cleveland Way. The YAA crew needed mountain rescue assistance to recover her to a Yorkshire Ambulance Service vehicle.

Two Team Land Rovers and a number of our members were called out and directed to an RV-point at the Sutton Bank visitor centre. When the first personnel arrived they made their way on foot to the scene, carrying a mountain rescue stretcher and a back-up rope system in case the casualty was on steep ground (in the event, although the terrain was difficult, the rope system was not required). Further Team members made their way to the scene as they arrived.

As the casualty’s leg had already been splinted by the YAA crew and she was receiving pain relief we assembled the two-part rescue stretcher and lifted her onto it, securing her safely in a casualty bag. Then it was a matter of carrying her back to the Cleveland Way, uphill along a rough, very narrow path and steps which made the going quite tough for our Team members, especially as it was a warm afternoon made worse by the requirement to wear PPE. After a difficult uphill stretcher-carry of approximately 200-metres the casualty was lifted over a gate and then carried for another 350-metres along the Cleveland Way and transferred to the waiting ambulance for onward transport to hospital – we wish her well with her recovery.

At that point we were able to stand-down and return to our homes and places of work. Seventeen Team members were involved, initially co-ordinated by our Call-out Officer. The incident lasted just under two-hours plus return travel time. Many thanks to the visitor centre and the North York Moors Rangers for their assistance, including with car-park access.