A GRANDMOTHER who decided to visit the Lakes instead of holidaying abroad ended up in an air ambulance after falling while attempting to complete the Wainwrights.
Joan Taylor broke her leg after a bad fall on Calf Crag on December 22, and was later rescued by Cumbrian emergency services.
STRONG: Joan and Jonathan Taylor completing the Wainwrights
Mrs Taylor, 71, was supposed to be in Spain at the time with her husband Jonathan, but due to Covid-19 restrictions preventing her from traveling, she decided to remain in England and climb the crag.
The grandmother-of-five said: “Because we were packed we decided to walk the last of the Wainwrights after already completing most of them.
“We have a motorhome and weren’t planning on meeting anyone, so we thought we’d do these four Wainwrights, a dead easy walk, and still be keeping ourselves safe.”
The couple, from Keighley, were on top of Calf Crag, near Grasmere, and just about to reach the cairn, when Mrs Taylor slipped.
She said: "There was a flat stone and I put my stick on it and thought ‘that’s not slippy’, I put my boot on it but I didn’t see there was black ice and fell on my side and bounced.
"I stood up and I couldn’t put my left foot forward, so I crawled up to where it was flat and Jonathan phoned 999.”
WAINWRIGHTS: Calf Crag near Grasmere Dec 2020
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) flew to the scene and assessed Mrs Taylor, before the Langdale/Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team arrived.
Mrs Taylor said: “It took about 15 minutes for GNAAS to arrive after ringing, and they had to manoeuvre a bit, but there was a flat area nearby, so they didn’t have to carry me far. I must admit I was in awe of GNAAS.
“It was a good response and they put me at ease and made me feel safe and ok.
Mrs Taylor had broken the top of her femur so she was airlifted down to the car park where an ambulance from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) was waiting and she was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary by an NWAS road crew.
Mrs Taylor underwent an operation on Christmas Eve.
BROKEN: X-ray of Joan’s femur
After the incident the couple looked up GNAAS online and decided to support them after finding out about the work they do in the region.
Mrs Taylor said: “GNAAS were so professional and efficient and made me feel comfortable and not apprehensive.
"When Jonathan went on the website, we found out more about GNAAS and decided to sign up to the lottery.”
The couple have since completed the Wainwrights, with the last one being Dow Crag exactly six months after the incident.
GNAAS have launched a raffle with a top prize of £10,000.
Tickets cost £1 each and are available now at gna.as/raffle21
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