Incident report

Buxton Mountain Rescue Team was called to the Roaches on Thursday following reports of two injured climbers. The Midlands Air Ambulance and West Midlands Ambulance Service crews were already on scene and treating the casualties.

The two climbers, both male, aged 15 years, from Buxton, had been climbing on the Roaches Lower Tier, a route known as Prow Cracks. They had completed the route and one of the lads was either abseiling or being lowered from the top when he slipped and fell about 20 feet, pulling the other climber off the belay. Both climbers fell to the bottom of the crag face, one suffered facial and wrist injuries and the other a suspected broken ankle. Following treatment, both were evacuated by team members by stretcher, initially hand over hand to easier ground and then to the waiting aircraft and land ambulance.

Both casualties were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for further treatment.