Lake District mountain teams star in new Channel Four show

Lake District Rescue premiered on Sunday in what was the first programme to use body cams on mountain rescuers in the region.

Read more: More4 documentary Lake District Rescue airs on Sunday | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

The opening episode followed four separate call-outs for the Wasdale, Keswick and Coniston rescue teams.

The Wasdale team en route to Eskdale Pools (Image: Channel Four)

The Wasdale team, founded in 1968, was the primary focus of the episode as they dealt with incidents at the Eskdale Pools and Scafell Pike.

As one member of the team explained: "If we have a decent summer, we can guarantee that we'll be going to the pools because it's so idyllic and it attracts people.

"It's not to be underestimated just how dangerous it is."

The injured man dislocated his shoulder (Image: Channel Four)

In the episode a man had attempted to jump into the pools from the 'highest rock', resulting in a dislocated shoulder.

The body cam footage allowed viewers to experience how difficult it can be to transport a person in so much pain.

The team escorting the injured man to flatter ground (Image: Channel Four)

"We can request a helicopter, but there's absolutely no guarantees," one rescuer commented.

At Scafell Pike, a woman's broken ankle presented yet another issue for the Wasdale volunteers.

"It [Scafell] can change in an absolute blink," a member of the team detailed.

"Just a few degrees wrong on your compass can transport you to a whole new world."

Rescue teams across the Lake District face some of the most daunting terrain on a daily basis (Image: Channel Four)

Over in Keswick, the area's natural beauty was shown to be one of the reasons for the high number of incidents.

The local rescue team outlined: "Because it's such a beautiful place - it's got the mountains, it's got the lakes, all the different activities you can do there - it also brings the sort of people who enjoy that."

A young man fell up to 15 metres at Bram Crag Quarry, with the show providing an intimate view of his recovery.

And, in Coniston, an injury of the canine variety showcased how rescuers deal with a variety of casualties.

Sky suffered an arterial bleed - with the owner said to have done the right thing in calling the rescue team (Image: Channel Four)

Team leader Janice Hamilton said: "We will always go and rescue a dog and anybody that says we should just stick to people, try explaining that to dog owners whose dog is hurt."

Upon the rescue of his Labrador, the owner paid tribute to the team: "Thank you for giving me my dog back."

Having volunteered in Coniston for 15 years, it was that gratitude that made it all worthwhile for Janice.

"You'd be surprised at how that little thank you goes such a long way," she said.