The volunteers of the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team (NNPMRT) and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team (NOTMRT) have responded to 3 incidents in 7 days.
At 17.10 on Saturday 7 May 2016, the teams were activated by Northumbria Police to assist in the search of two walkers. They had become disoriented in thick mist surrounding the Simonside Hills, whilst the rest of the country bathed in glorious sunshine. From the information received, it was suspected that the walkers had taken shelter in one of the two huts between Harwood Forest and Hepple Whitefield – along the route of the Sandstone Way and Border County Ride.
Two team members were swiftly despatched to drive the rough track up to Whitefield Hill. The walkers were located in one of the shooting huts with the gas fire on to warm themselves up, and grateful for the assistance. A Police 4×4 was used to transport the walkers back to their car at Simonside Forest car park, and the incident involved 8 team members for 2 hours.
At 14:05 on Monday 2 May 2016, a group of nine walkers and two dogs were unsure of their position on the Salter’s Road at the eastern edge of the Uswayford Forest – one of the most remote parts of the Northumberland National Park. Luckily for the group, the passer-by they asked for navigational support was a Mountain Rescue team member who ascertained they were 6 km off their desired route heading towards the Breamish valley rather than their intended goal of climbing Windy Gyle.
Given the time and location, a decision was taken by the Team Member to shuttle the group in his nearby 4×4 back down the Usway valley to the track heading south to Barrowburn over Middle Hill. The group then walked back the last few kilometres to Barrowburn having not made the summit of Windy Gyle. The Team member waited at Barrowburn to see the group coming safely down the hill before heading home, having almost certainly avoided a search for the full team later in the day and possibly into the night. The incident involved one Team Member for 2 hours.
At 20:31 on Sunday 1 May 2016, the Teams were contacted by Northumbria Police after a cyclist had become lost in the Kielder area. Initial indications suggested that the cyclist was near to Riccarton. The Mountain Rescue mobile phone GPS technology, SARLOC, was used to try and locate the individual however phone signal in the area made the attempt unsuccessful. The Border Search & Rescue Unit and Tweed Valley MRT were also put on stand-by while the Police drove some of the roads. After half an hour, contact was made with the cyclist confirming his location allowing a Police vehicle to transport him back to his starting point at Kielder Water. The incident involved 2 Team Members for 1 hour.