Man Dies In Helvellyn Fall

Sad news from the Lake District where a walker died on Saturday after falling on Helvellyn, the second fatality on the mountain in the space of just four days.

The BBC says that David Burke from Newcastle fell from Striding Edge and sadly despite the efforts of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and an RAF helicopter, was pronounced dead.

Two OUTDOORSmagic members who were wild camping in the area witnessed the rescue operation at first hand and took a series of dramatic photos of the helicopter in action.

You can see the full sequence in the Diddy album on the OM gallery. Another OMer who was also on the mountain at the time says there were 'literally hundreds of people heading up Helvellyn' in variable snow and weather conditions.

The accident on Saturday follows on from an incident last Wednesday when a 62-year-old man died after falling on the mountain and an unusual avalanche warning from the Lake District National Park Authority a few weeks ago.

Our condolences to the families and friends of the two victims. It's a sad reminder to everyone who loves the hills that winter mountains while beautiful are also capable of being harsh and unforgiving.