28/9/2009 - Local heroes honoured in Borrowdale

Emergency service heroes who helped save the life of a Cumbrian woman trapped under a 70ft tree trunk will be recognised tomorrow (Tues) with a special evening in Borrowdale.

Firefighters, paramedics, mountain rescue teams, police officers and staff from the Lodore Falls Hotel worked together to help save Trudy Edgar. 

Trudy, 44, thought her legs would have to be amputated as she lay in agony while emergency services battled in failing light to free her on a cold January weekend this year near the hotel on the banks of Derwent Water.

Miraculously, despite being trapped for two hours she managed to escape with bruises and tomorrow night (29 September at 7:30pm) the emergency services will meet with the Edgars and the quick thinking hotel staff who helped who will be presented with a Certificate of Appreciation at the Lodore Falls Hotel. 

Assistant chief fire officer Ian Cartwright from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service will be on hand to present the award alongside Mark Hodgson, team leader Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, Allan Carruthers, crew manager Keswick Fire Station, Keith Newton, team leader Keswick Ambulance Station and Sgt Gary Armstrong, Keswick Police, representing Keswick’s emergency services.

Trudy and her husband Tom had taken an afternoon walk during a weekend break at the hotel but when they clambered onto a fallen tree to get a better view across the lake it collapsed, bringing down another log and trapping them both.

Tom managed to free himself and run to the hotel to raise the alarm.

Rob Goodfellow, a fitness instructor from hotel’s leisure club, was first on the scene followed quickly by twenty members of Keswick mountain rescue team and two fire crews from Keswick, plus police and paramedics and further hotel staff who helped carry lights and equipment.

The mountain rescuers removed branches with a chainsaw while firefighters used high-pressure airbags –more usually deployed in road accidents –to lift the log and free Mrs Edgar.

The rescuers then had the tricky task of carrying a stretcher down a steep, slippery path in darkness for three-quarters of a mile.

Group manager Adrian Holme, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, who led the rescue operation, said:

"I’m delighted that we’ve been able to organise this and I’d like to thank the Lodore Falls Hotel for being so happy to host the evening. 

"For a small town like Keswick to muster so quickly a team of multi agency professionals to a remote location to effect a technically demanding rescue and then treat and transport a casualty to definitive care within two hours was an outstanding feat of which I was exceptionally proud to be part of.

"This was a real life situation that gave every one of the emergency services the chance to work together and do what we do best –keep people safe in Cumbria.

"Some of the logistics of the incident proved to be very difficult and the fact that everyone worked so well together, including the hotel staff, proves how skillful the emergency services are in the county."

ENDS

Media enquiries to Media Officer Paul Bell on 01228 226337