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Scafell Pike Rescued hikers

(29 Posts)
SORES Sun 25-Jan-26 12:17:05

Has anyone read this account in the Guardian?

The last rescue of the year, 29/30 December, two walkers
one on a crutch, rescued from Scafell in a 7 hour operation,
absconded without paying a hotel bill, returning two head torches,
gave a false telephone number, who are these scoundrels.

It is a testament to the resilience of the Mountain Rescue teams providing the stamina endurance and capability required to achieve these rescues, often in dark dreadful conditions.

Mountain Rescue teams are commendable anywhere,
a shame that two villains have behaved in this underhand manner, rescue/dine/sleep/dash -how dispiriting this must
have been for a voluntary rescue team and how insulting !

I’m proper cross!

Sago Sun 25-Jan-26 13:14:27

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/25/rescued-scafell-pike-hikers-urged-pay-hotel-bill-return-head-torches

MiniMoon Sun 25-Jan-26 13:41:55

I read about those two. Absolutely despicable behaviour. They were given a 35% discount on the hotel room, they badgered the staff to give them breakfast and then they were off leaving a £130 bill unpaid. What's more, they left the crutch in the rescue vehicle.
On a different day in July, Penrith mountain rescue team found their donations box at Mardale had been vandalised and the donations stolen. The box was set in a wall so it took some effort to break into it.
These mountain rescue teams are dependent on donations to keep them running.
I despair of my fellow human beings.

Belardo Sun 25-Jan-26 13:44:31

Yes, it was sadly to see.
It stinks of a sense of entitlement and getting something for nothing, yet these young men appeared to be so ungrateful (and ungraceful) having just been saved from possible death.
Hopefully someone may recognise them and come forward to shame them into paying. I can imagine they'll have been bragging about their 'adventure', possibly even about how they got away without paying and the acquisition (theft) of those valuable lamps.

Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 13:47:44

I imagine these scumbags are now bragging to their scummy mates on social media about how they got away with this.

Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 13:48:32

Sorry Belardo, just posted the same thing.

Maremia Sun 25-Jan-26 14:33:58

Someone will know who they are.

Sago Sun 25-Jan-26 15:39:00

Kind people have donated £100’s of pounds to the Wasdale MR since the story broke.
Easily enough to cover the hotel costs etc.
So lovely to know there are such good people around.

Regarding the selfish hikers, karma will find them.

SORES Sun 25-Jan-26 15:52:06

Sago

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/25/rescued-scafell-pike-hikers-urged-pay-hotel-bill-return-head-torches

thank you, Sago !

Etoile2701 Mon 26-Jan-26 16:56:02

Disgraceful behaviour.

Astitchintime Mon 26-Jan-26 17:02:01

This is disgraceful! These highly skilled volunteers give their time freely and put their own lives at risk with every rescue that they attend.
It’s is shameful to treat any enterprise this way. The hotel didn’t have to offer any discount to their two individuals and yet they did……and they were disrespected in an abhorrent way as were the rescue team!
Whoever these two are they deserve to be flogged.

grandMattie Mon 26-Jan-26 17:04:25

An absolute disgrace.

Oreo Mon 26-Jan-26 17:08:26

Shouldn’t be too difficult for police to find out who they are, it’s fraud after all, but as with shoplifting and other crimes considered too small to bother themselves about it’s likely that these dine and dashers will get away with it.
Both hotels/ pubs/ restaurants/ cafes should all start asking customers to pay upfront.

jocork Mon 26-Jan-26 18:12:30

As the mother of a DD who was recued from a Scottish mountain after slipping and breaking her ankle I'm shocked that anyone could be so disrespectful and ungrateful. After her recovery DD trained for a half marathon to raise money for the Lochaber mountain rescue who airlifted her to hospital in Fort William. I'm sure most people who are rescued want to repay their rescuers in some way. She asked how much her rescue had cost and it was thousands as a helicopter was involved! She will always be grateful for their professionalism and the kindness shown. She obviously paid her hotel bill when she was kicked out of the hospital later that night with nowhere else to go!
What a sad state of affairs for this to happen!

WithNobsOnIt Mon 26-Jan-26 18:55:01

I think this pair of scum bags should be tracked down pronto and prosecuted for not paying the hotel bill.

They are probably now heroes for doing this dirty trick, amongst the their thick, feckless friends on Facebook or Snapchat or whatever

I actually think that they should be publicly humiliated

Get someone like the Daily Mail to hunt them.down.

RosiesMawagain Mon 26-Jan-26 18:59:04

I'd have offered them a lift - straight back to where they were rescued from -and then leave them to find their own way home.

WithNobsOnIt Mon 26-Jan-26 19:02:54

RosiesMawagain

I'd have offered them a lift - straight back to where they were rescued from -and then leave them to find their own way home.

Top Stuff.
I loved this.
Divine retribution?

petra Mon 26-Jan-26 19:07:15

Maremia

Someone will know who they are.

The hotel should have cctv. Then plaster their faces everywhere 🤬🤬

sodapop Mon 26-Jan-26 19:12:45

The absolute selfishness of some people never fails to amaze me. Good to hear that other people have donated to the Mountain Rescue teams.

Allira Mon 26-Jan-26 19:18:12

RosiesMawagain

I'd have offered them a lift - straight back to where they were rescued from -and then leave them to find their own way home.

Yes!

I thought it was a pity they'd been found but thought that was a bit harsh to post.

butterandjam Mon 26-Jan-26 19:23:10

petra

Maremia

Someone will know who they are.

The hotel should have cctv. Then plaster their faces everywhere 🤬🤬

I doubt if a man on a crutch, had travelled far from where he acquired it, which was probably an NHS A and E department in NW England. .
Mountain Rescue know which leg was injured and possibly he told them what the injury was and when/how he got it.. The hotel can describe his age, looks, size.

I'll be pretty surprised if the NHS can't trace this patient's ID

Sago Mon 26-Jan-26 19:35:18

GDPR means that their details cannot be given out.

Primrose53 Mon 26-Jan-26 20:43:33

It’s the same here with people (and sometimes their dogs) who walk out on beaches and marshes too far and get cut off by the tides. They ignore all the warning signs and find they are trapped by rapidly swirling tides.

Last summer was a record year for such idiots getting stranded and having to get rescued. The rescues are always reported but I have only once seen one man thanking them and saying he has learned his lesson and would be making a donation to RNLI.

Retroladytyping Mon 26-Jan-26 20:49:13

Maremia

Someone will know who they are.

And as they called out Mountain Rescue, it might be possible to trace them from their mobile number.

Belardo Mon 26-Jan-26 21:02:10

Fallingstar

Sorry Belardo, just posted the same thing.

No need to apologise, Fallingstar.
I'm sure many feel the same way.