Walkers have been advised to plan for weather changes after a group of 10 people and two dogs were rescued from the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland.
Four mountain rescue teams totalling 64 people were involved in a 10-hour rescue operation on Sunday night. The walkers were found on a hill known as Windy Gyle after three and a half hours of searching.
All were suffering from the effects of cold and three members of the group required urgent medical treatment, two of them for hypothermia.
Teams from Tweed Valley mountain rescue, Border search and rescue, North of Tyne mountain rescue and Northumberland national park rescue team had to wade through 3-4ft snow drifts to reach the walkers.
A rescue helicopter was unable to get to the area due to bad weather, and a local farmer was drafted in to transport the walkers requiring medical attention off the hill in a 4x4 vehicle.
The remaining members of the group were guided off the hill by members of mountain rescue. Rescue teams were stood down just after midnight.
The Tweed Valley team said it had been one of the biggest joint operations in recent years and said walkers should plan for all conditions as the weather could change “with severe consequences”.
A Facebook post from the Northumberland national park rescue team said: “Initial reports indicated that 10 walkers and two dogs were stranded on Windy Gyle and two of the group were suffering from hypothermia.
“Local team members were deployed immediately to head up on to Windy Gyle. Additional members and resources were also deployed along with a request for support from north of the border. Tweed Valley mountain rescue team and Border search and rescue unit duly responded.
“As members were nearing summit of Windy Gyle, further information suggested the walkers had headed east to try to locate some shelter. After 3.5 hours in challenging winter conditions the group of walkers were located. Team members had to wade through 3-4ft snow drifts, sometimes even crawl, to reach the walkers’ location.”
It added: “The walkers and team members were all safely off the hill by 12.11am. A number were taken direct to hospital after a further assessment by the North East ambulance service and we hope they make a swift recovery from their ordeal.”
