Rescue endangered by 'irresponsible' drone flight
Keswick Mountain Rescue TeamAttempts to help a woman seriously injured on a mountain team were "severely hampered" by "the irresponsible flying of a drone", rescuers said.
The walker needed to be airlifted to hospital after a bad fall on Raven Crag in Cumbria on Sunday.
Nick Owen, from Lake District Mountain Rescue, said the woman had a "very serious head injury" and, while the air ambulance landed below the scene, a coastguard helicopter was hovering above waiting to winch the stretcher away.
"While that drone was in the air, the Coastguard helicopter couldn't come in because of the danger... if the motor blades had hit the drone or the drone had been sucked into the engine," Owen said.
"It would have caused untold damage and risked the helicopter and obviously the lives of everybody in the vicinity."
Keswick Mountain Rescue TeamSouth Lakes Police said: "This rescue effort was severely hampered by the irresponsible flying of a drone in the locality.
"The reckless actions of the drone pilot not only risked the safety of the Coastguard helicopter and the crew, but also the safety and dignity of the casualty."
Owen said it was "obvious" there were two helicopters in the area, but if the drone operator was wearing a headset impacting their peripheral vision they should have had a spotter.
"There's not really any good excuse for doing it and leaving it there, not pulling it away immediately and retrieving it," he said.
"It would appear to be a bit of voyeurism and a little bit of negligence-stroke-arrogance.
"Just needs awareness and a little bit of consideration really, you know.
"Nobody's photographs or whatever they're taking is more important than someone's life in the end."