Second date turns into five-hour crag rescue operation

A team of 25 people helped to bring pair to safety

The autumn view out to Blencathra, also called Saddleback, which is located near Keswick in the Lake District. (PA)

A couple on their second date had to be brought to safety on Saturday with the help of 25 people in a five-hour rescue operation, after their romantic walk up a Lake District hill went awry.

The pair had decided to climb Sharp Edge on Blencathra, located to the north-east of Keswick, when they got into difficulty because of the slippery conditions.

After choosing to turn around because of the wet weather, the man slipped and fell roughly 60 metres down a steep, rocky slope, with his female partner stuck on a crag above him.

Although the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team requested the support of both an air ambulance and a Coast Guard helicopter, neither was able to help with the rescue efforts because of the weather.

Instead, the team split in two and reached both the man and the woman, bringing him down on a stretcher and belaying her down to easy ground.

The man was later taken by the Coast Guard helicopter to a hospital in Glasgow to receive treatment.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the rescue team thanked a passer-by who had kept the injured man warm by giving him extra clothes before they reached him.

The post also said that the rescue operation began at 3.20pm and took five hours and six minutes to complete.

“Apparently, despite the drama of their second date a third one has already been discussed,” the rescuers added.