I heard no mention of OMM on Radio 4 this morning so I suppose the story is over. because almost all of the 2,500 participants got to safety unaided. I've only heard of one serious injury and those few who were admitted to hospital were only suffering minor injuries or the onset of hypothermia.
The real story is that all the participants were well equipped and experienced enough to cope with the extreme conditions and were wise enough to seek low ground and shelter.
Nobody died so, from the media's viewpoint there is no story!
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 There was quite a bit in the media about the huge "rescue mission" involving the police, RAF and mountain rescue and who should foot the bill. Undoubtably there was quite a presence from these orginisations, but I would like to ask, did any competitor actually ask to be rescued, or did the police just call out the rescue services on a "just in case basis" and with such a big media coverage mountain rescue ran up and down the hillside trying to stick medals on their own chests.
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 Looking at the hype surrounding the media storm, I'm surprised they didn't send frogmen to dredge Windermere for bodies. I was almost expecting Social Services to turn up and set up a 'Coping with Wetness' counselling service!
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 "Nobody died so, from the media's viewpoint there is no story!" BBC Breakfast News had a competitor in the studio, a Barrister no less. He told them pretty much just that; there is no story. Everybody had planned to be out overnight anyway and were equipped accordingly etc etc. I'm sure by mid-week the media will have forgotten all about it.
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 was being discussed on Jeremy Vine's show on Radio2
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  Hugh, the story isn't over, not by a long short! It was only just within the hour again on the Radio 4 news. Again decrying the fact that the Police wanted it closed down in advance on hearing the thursday forecasts of bad weather at the weekend of the event. Interestingly though, given it is the Beeb we are in fact talking of here, they let someone on actually in the know right after to give the other truer point of view actually from the sharp end. He was a key race event organiser named Tim, who said that the police in fact had never ever pre-demanded the event be cancelled. He also stated that whilst one MRT senior member had said it would have been better cancelled, given the bad weather on the actual first morning there. The interviewed chap too said that he was glad it went ahead, and the right decisions were made all along, and too that a member of the loal MRT was actually a competitor taking part throughout and a fairly good time was had by practically all! He also too stated again mot strongly that all competitors were prepared for the worst, well provisioned with a full prsonal race kit including emergecy foods, space blankets, tent, sleeping bags, and too stoves.
I see there is a very good piece on this put up just this morning on the Backpacking light.com website, as apparently Bob there was at the event taking part himself too. He reckons, interestingly I thought on reading the blog entry there on the event this morning earlier, that everyone taking part there went down with hypothermia to some degree or another, and that was not exactly unusual given the conditions everyone experienced.
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| Edited: 27/10/08 13:15 |
The BBC must learn to advance from four letter words - LIES - to five letter words - TRUTH.
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 interetsting about the raf helicopter. i would have thought they would have been itching to get out in that weather for some proper practice.
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The press news services 'story' is seemingly now the attempt by the media to mask over their panic hyping of the story, to try to now say that the hype and panic came from the police themelves alone demanding the event not go ahead. The police seem to be saying in their defence that they did no such thing at all! The blame game could go on like a ping-pong match for a good day or so yet I reckon!
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| Edited: 27/10/08 13:21 |
This is now getting, as a news story, much more in-depth coverage than this secret black-opps raid by US special forces helicopter gunships into Syrian territory, in fact! So one cannot now just say it is down to it being a slow news day! Why isn't this US raid into Syrian territory getting more deeper coverage then, instead of more coverage on this non-starter story of the washed out race event in the lakes?
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| Edited: 27/10/08 13:24 |
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The fact that there were so few injured I feel was more from luck than good judgement. The kimm/omm has always gone ahead in bad weather and has been enjoyed for that challenge. But this time the forecast was so bad (and turned out to be worse) that showed that the organisers did not have the common sense to postpone or cancel it.
The Thursday before was frightening in the lakes, but the forecast for the Saturday said that it was going to be worse, this should have been a wake up call. There had been media messages not to drive into the area for the previous two days the roads in places were 4 feet deep in water. For people to say that there was no emergency was slight under play of the situation. 5 Mountain rescue teams, NW ambulance service, st Johns ambulance, countless police officers, the opening up of reception centres & a dozen or so ending up in hospital some would say is not over playing the event. If you then say it got out of hand due to the fact that the organisers had no mobile phone coverage in the area. There has never been good mobile coverage in that area so what other system had been put in place to over come that problem, there appeared to be none. Hopefully this should be a wake up call, run the event but don’t press on regardless.
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 But this time the forecast was so bad (and turned out to be worse) that showed that the organisers did not have the common sense to postpone or cancel it. There's been as bad before, in temr sof conditions not to be caugfht short in. Maybe not as much rain, but plenty of snow... The point of an event like the OMM is that the organisation is primarily to provide a competitive playing field, not to nurse-maid the contestants. For individuals in the event it is just the same as a non-competitive mountain weekend: they make the decisions and they are responsible for their safety. You're only considered in trouble if you don't report back at the end of Day 2. Everyone had reported back by the end of Day 2, so nobody was "missing". The onus of "common sense" is on the participants. No shortage decided against taking part, or retired having started, which is the way it should happen if it's too much. That it wasn't too much, period, is shown up by the folk that completed Day 1 and were a bit miffed it had been cancelled! There has never been good mobile coverage in that area so what other system had been put in place to over come that problem, there appeared to be none.The OMM/KIMM has been going for several decades before mobile 'phones even existed. Nobody was missing under the paramters the event has been run under for those 40 years. The event is held at the end of October in order that the conditions will be tough. It is internationally reknowned as a tough race requiring teams to look after themselves. Pete.
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"The fact that there were so few injured I feel was more from luck than good judgement" or was it more from good judgement than luck?
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 just listened to the leader of keswick MRT give an interview on BBC look north and his answer to direct questioning was simple he would have not let the event take place based on the conditions and as it happens most of the MRT posse were competitors themselves.
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I might fall foul of fellrunning 'ethics' by saying this, but I reckon that those few who successfully completed the course on Saturday should have been allowed to complete Sunday's course too. They must have been gutted to have got through all that, only to be told the rest had been cancelled. Then again, maybe that's just me. I've never understood why group holidays get cut short just because someone gets run over by a truck. I was once handed a sheaf of 'emergency notes' while accompanying a group overseas, and it stated very clearly that if anyone died, grieving relatives could be offered a choice between a local funeral, or repatriation of the body, but the rest of the trip had to keep going regardless!
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If you guys want to read some overstated comments about this incident then google Evening News & Star (Cumbria). I have just read the 2 page spread on it. What a load of gumph. The internet comments are even worse.
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For people to say that there was no emergency was slight under play of the situation. 5 Mountain rescue teams, NW ambulance service, st Johns ambulance, countless police officers, the opening up of reception centres & a dozen or so ending up in hospital
As far as I am aware not one competitor asked for the assistance of any of the rescue services. The police appear to have went completely OTT and called out every available service on a "just in case" basis. Then the media have exagerated everything out of all proportion to make a story.
To my mind the event went well with little incidence, some very minor cases of hyperthermia (these were probably seen asking for a warm drink and frog marched to the nearest casualty dept just in case) The country has gone health and saftey mad!
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It sounds like the blame game could be interesting, so long as the competitors and the organisors don't end up with it. We don't want the story to be about a bunch of people enjoying the outdoors who happen to be part of an outdoors event getting accused of being irresponsible in doing the hobby / sport that they are experienced and equipped for. If the police are back pedalling over their earlier statement of calling for it to be cancelled to comments that in light of the weather is it wise to go ahead. And the press from a massive disaster with masses of rescue team members risking their lives and SAR helicopters all over the place costing hundreds of thousands of pounds to about 12 people being taken to hospital as a precaution for hypothermia and 1 woman slipping in a stream and getting carried down a bit getting winched out together with 3 MRT members and 3 hikers who had got stranded helping her. Basically climb down and back pedalling should also be cancelled due to the weather. If indeed they count as an outdoor event. I blame the media and their lack of knowledge of outdoors activities and events.
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