SEOBLOGREEN - Generosity sometimes springs from betrayal. That is the Wasdale story. A small act of callousness led to a massive wave of public support. The mountain rescue team was left with a bill. Not their bill. A hotel bill for people they had just saved.
The incident was on Scafell Pike. It happened late on December 29, in treacherous conditions. Two young male walkers got lost high on the mountain. The weather was brutal. It was an avoidable rescue, the team later said. They had to go. They always go.
 |
| Photo From Pixabay |
Volunteers mobilised. The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (WMRT) is all-volunteer. They dropped everything. The rescue operation lasted seven long hours. They located the men. They guided them down safely. The walkers were wet. They were hungry. They were exhausted.
The Seven-Hour Ordeal and Unpaid Debt
The team brought the men to the valley bottom. It was the early hours of the next day. A kind soul stepped in. Steve, the bar manager at the Wasdale Head Inn, offered help. The Inn is close to Scafell Pike. Steve stayed up late. He provided snacks. A room was offered. The men were given a safe, warm place to sleep.
The room was given at a significant discount. A 35 per cent reduction, to be exact. The final bill was £130. The rescued walkers agreed to pay. They claimed their money was up on the fell in a tent. They promised to settle the next morning. It was a promise they broke.
The next day, they showed no gratitude. They asked for further discounts. They pushed for breakfast. They demanded transport out of the valley. Bar manager Steve politely refused the extras. He told them to transfer the money when they could. They left. They never paid the £130. The phone number they provided was fake.
A Volunteer's Disappointment
The hotel, the Wasdale Head Inn, was more than willing to cover the loss. The owner, Nigel Burton, was disappointed but not angry. But the mountain rescue team felt obliged to pay. They had promised to underwrite any losses. They had to pay to ensure the Inn would offer such vital hospitality again.
The team volunteers were frustrated. It was not just the money. It was the lack of respect. It was the principle of the thing. WMRT runs on an annual budget in excess of £100,000. Every pound counts. They posted about the incident on social media. They did not judge the rescue itself. They struggled to understand taking advantage of their supporters' hospitality.
The missing items added insult to injury. The two young men left without settling the bill. They also failed to return equipment. Two head torches lent for their descent went missing. One of the walkers, who had a previous leg injury, had used a hospital crutch on the ascent. They left that crutch behind too. The team appealed publicly for the men to pay the debt. They also asked for the borrowed gear to be returned.
The Great Wave of Public Generosity
Then, the public responded. Not the two rescued walkers. The rest of the country. A wave of donations began immediately. People were shocked by the walkers' lack of integrity. They wanted to show support for the volunteers. They wanted to show what real community spirit looks like.
The donations flooded in. Within 24 hours, the mountain rescue team had raised over £2,000. It was a stunning response. Soon after, the total exceeded £2,200. This amount completely dwarfed the missing £130 bill. The team was overwhelmed. "We are bowled over by the generosity," a spokesman said.
The money meant the team could easily reimburse the Wasdale Head Inn. The promise was honoured. The hotel received its payment. The extra funds are crucial. They go directly towards the team's substantial operational costs. The selfless work of the volunteers is now more secure. One act of selfishness was overshadowed. It was defeated by thousands of small acts of kindness. This is the true spirit of the Lake District community. The volunteers continue their work. They will never stop helping those in need.
Source: bbc.co.uk
#WasdaleMountainRescue #ScafellPike #PublicGenerosity
