Rescue teams’ quest to save accident victim fails in Cumbria as loved one is lost

A man has died near the Taylor Gill Force waterfall despite rescue attempts.

A dead whale that washed ashore at Braystones has prompted the Whitehaven Coastguard to respond to the scene.

On August 26, the coastguard was summoned to the shores in response to a reported sighting of a “juvenile minke or fin whale,” estimated to be 3.5 meters in length.

As part of the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, a record of its measurements and details was sent to the Strandings team at the Natural History Museum and the Belfast Coastguard Coordination Centre.

If there are tidal movements or “nature doesn’t run its course first,” disposal will be handled by local authorities.

Around 6:20 p.m. on August 24, a bystander heard calls from the man’s son-in-law, who was attempting to revive him. They then called Keswick MRT, the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), and the coastguard.

The Keswick Mountain Rescue Team and GNAAS’s Helimed 58 were dispatched, but the weather and terrain prevented the helicopter from landing, forcing an abortive landing.

Nonetheless, they were able to give the mountain rescue team the victim’s precise location.

Even with the best of intentions, the man could not be revived when they arrived.

The continuation of the severe weather made recovery difficult.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the man’s family and friends, and in particular with the man’s son-in-law who was performing the initial CPR,” a Keswick MRT spokesperson stated.