Hotdogs used to rescue cold dogs from mountain

The dogs were stranded after their handler fell and broke his leg

Lake District mountain rescuers had to mount four back-to-back rescues in 24 hours over the weekend - including the recovery of two dogs.

Hotdogs were used to attract the canine pair whose handler had broken his leg in a fall on Scafell Pike.

Richard Warren at Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team said three of the rescues were totally avoidable and that walkers need to be better prepared for mountain hikes.

“Our team members were exhausted,” said Mr Warren.

The conditions were snowy and dark during several of the rescues

The first three rescues around Scafell all involved inexperienced walkers who had got lost and feared for their safety in the snowy conditions.

Mr Warren said these callouts could have been avoided if the walkers had a better understanding of their skill level, were better prepared for the weather and had taken equipment like compasses and paper maps.

“What normally happens is that people rely totally on their mobile phones,” he said.

"People need to understand that if they get lost and go missing they are compromising [the rescues] of those who have multiple injuries or heart attacks."

A helicopter helped rescue the man with a broken leg

Several members of the team then had to be diverted to the final and most serious rescue of the night.

A man had walked up Scafell Pike with his two dogs, but four hours after reaching the summit at 16:00 GMT the man's father reported he had not heard from him.

Multiple mountain rescuers, as well as a coastguard helicopter, were mobilised but Mr Warren said: “We didn’t find him until about two o’clock in the morning.”

The man had fallen into a deep cut called Piers Gill and had broken his leg. The dogs were not as far down as the man but were also stuck.

Due to low cloud conditions the helicopter could not land nearby, so rescuers had to carry him further up the mountain.

The two dogs remained stuck until later in the day when the team descended into the gorge on ropes.

Hotdogs were then deployed to coax the animals to safety.