The CEO of Mountain Rescue England and Wales talks the changes in weather and urban flood rescue
Mike Park tells us how the changes in weather are messing with paths and rivers, and how he's having to work more in urban environments.
Listen to Mike’s story:
We took a walk with Mike Park through the Buttermere valley, up the Gasgale Gill trail, a path known for hiking and running which frequently sees accidents. He’s been a Mountain Rescue volunteer in Cockermouth, Cumbria for 40 years, and is the current CEO of Mountain Rescue England and Wales. He told us about how the changes in weather are messing with paths and rivers, how it’s more difficult to plan outdoor activities and training, and how more people go out at night to compensate. Obviously that means more call outs to the mountains, but he’s even more worried about the fact that Mountain Rescue are having to work more in urban environments. He described what it was like being called out to do urban flood rescue in the Cockermouth floods of 2010 and 2015, and what more and more flooding might mean for the future of Mountain Rescue, which is, as it stands, an organisation made up of volunteers.
Listen on your device:
Apple Podcasts
Soundcloud
Spotify
Subscribe to automatically download new episodes!
“We’re having to work in more urban environments … nobody’s been expecting this … fire and rescue are doing flood rescue and suddenly you’ve got the RNLI working inland … there’s going to be a point where we’ve actually got to change what the organisation is, or we’ve actually got to say ‘no, we’re not doing that’”
“There was effectively a river running into the back door of the Black Bull and shooting out of the front door. The last place we wanted to be was in that water … When we went into the night, I remember being sat on a roof and it came over the radio that the police officer had been swept into the river and at that stage [I knew] if we’re not careful this is what’s going to happen to us … it was just like being in a disaster movie.”
“I know that the culture in Mountain Rescue is let’s provide a solution, [but] if [a team is] doing 350 callouts, surely they haven’t gone to work because they must have been doing those callouts … It’s not sustainable in the way that it’s done at the moment.”
“We had 900 people trapped in their homes in a town … and we’re having to go all around the country to the points in the country where it is required … we’re covering the floods across the whole of England and Wales.”
Keep posted. We’ll email you when new episodes arrive:
Hear the Show!
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to download the show to your device:
Apple Podcasts
Soundcloud
Spotify
Follow us
Show updates, additional content, and other insights:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Bluesky
TikTok
Stories From Round Our Way. Everyday conversations with people impacted by climate change.