Keswick Mountain Rescue in two-day rescue attempt of stricken sheep

The team were called out on Friday, December 16 after a local farmer rang the mountain rescue team to help retrieve his two sheep which had become ‘crag-fast’.

A drone was sent up to ascertain the location of the sheep before members of the team climbed the mountain.

There was “no natural protection on top of the hill long metal spikes were carried up and driven into the ground to allow the team to lower off on ropes,” said Keswick Mountain Rescue Team.

Two team members lowered down, one either side of the sheep to entrap them and one member of the team was able to grab both sheep in one go.

However, one sheep managed to wrestle free to the other side of the ledge, leaving the team with just one of the sheep in their care before night fell on the first day of the rescue attempt.

Day two of the rescue attempt began on Saturday, December 17 and a revitalised team, with several new recruits, set off to try and get the remaining sheep back down the hill.

The drone attempt didn’t work again which meant the team had to trek up the hill in icy and bitterly cold conditions to rescue the stricken animal.  

The team replaced the ground anchors further across the ledge than the previous day, before attempting to bring the animal back to safety.

This time the sheep was cornered against a vertical slope, making it easier for the mountain rescue team to pick up the animal – or so they thought.

As members of team came down to collect it, the sheep ran up the steep slope before leaping right over the head of the rescuers to safety before settling down on a lower terrace.

The team then called for some more rope and were able to safely marshal the sheep back down the slope.

Overall eight members of the team helped in this mammoth two day successful rescue.

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