TEESDALE’S fell rescue team was called out to 34 incidents in just three days during the worst of the wintry weather in February.
A new report shows that Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team’s (TWSMRT) three vehicles were frequently used to transport patients as regular ambulances struggled to cope in the heavy snow.
Team spokesman Scott Bissett said highly trained fell rescuers treated several patients prior to transporting them to hospital.
He added: “Several trapped motorists were also rescued including a member of Northumbria police and a lorry driver who had become stuck in snow on the B6277 between Langdon Beck and Alston.
“The operation involved both TWSMRT and Penrith MRT, as well as a helicopter, snow blowers and a farmer’s tracked utility vehicle.
“The driver was finally rescued when members of TWSMRT walked in through blizzard conditions.
“The driver was none the worse for wear despite spending almost 48 hours in his cab.”
In other incidents, he said the team was busy in January when rescuers dealt with four requests for help from police, including searching for man who went missing while walking the coastal path near Easington and a despondent woman from Seaham.
They also located an elderly walker who had become ill along the Pennine Way,
Mr Bissett said the operation involved the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and units from the Hazardous Area Response Team. The man was evacuated through deep snow.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
