In a heartening twist to a rather disheartening tale, Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (WMRT) has been showered with donations totaling £38,000 after a rescue mission turned sour. The team had embarked on a challenging seven-hour operation on December 29 to aid two walkers caught in perilous conditions on Scafell Pike, England’s tallest mountain situated in Cumbria.

Following their arduous rescue, the stranded hikers were welcomed by the Wasdale Head Inn, whose manager graciously extended a 35 percent discount on food and lodging. Despite this hospitality, the next morning saw the walkers leave without expressing gratitude or settling their bill. Instead, they audaciously sought further discounts and requested breakfast and transportation, leaving staff bewildered.

Weeks passed with no payment or communication from the men, leaving WMRT to cover the costs. The inn, showing incredible generosity, decided to waive the bill. Nonetheless, the rescue team felt compelled to repay the hotel to ensure continued support for future emergencies.

This act of selflessness by the rescuers has not gone unnoticed, as the public has rallied in their support, contributing significantly to the team’s fund. Such generosity not only underscores the community’s appreciation for the brave work done by WMRT but also restores faith in humanity amidst what initially seemed a thankless situation.

More than four weeks later, the bill remained unpaid and the men did not make contact with the hotel or the rescue team, with WMRT footing the fee.

The hotel agreed to waive the bill, but rescuers felt ‘obliged to reimburse them’ to be able to rely on their support in the future.

Now the the rescue team has received more than £38,000 in donations from Good Samaritans across the globe.

Richard Warren, of WMRT, said the money would be a ‘tremendous help’ for the team, adding the positive comments have ‘really made such a difference’ among volunteers and hotel staff.

The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team helped two young men who became stuck on Scafell Pike in ‘treacherous conditions’ 

Volunteers said the two men ‘took advantage’ of the hospitality offered by the team and a local hotel

Once of the mountain, the walkers were taken in by the nearby Wasdale Head Inn after the manager offered them food and a room with a 35 per cent discount

He said £130 would be given to the hotel to cover the bill and the rest would go to WMRT.

Mr Warren said: ‘We have had calls coming in from countries including America, Canada, Australia, the Isle of Man, France and Spain… it’s incredible.

‘It has helped buoy the feeling with staff that there is a lot of kindness out there.’

Nigel Burton, who owns Wasdale Head Inn, said they would continue to help people who came off the mountain despite the ‘disappointment’ of the two walkers leaving without paying.

‘We’re really disappointed but there’s no point being angry, we’ve got to move on,’ he said.

‘I think the overwhelming emotion we’ve got is how really amazed we’ve been at the scale of the support and generosity of the public.’

A spokesman for the Wasdale team previously said: ‘We avoid judging those we rescue but struggle to understand when the rescued take advantage of hospitality provided by our supporters in the valley.’

The walkers claimed they had left their money in a tent, which was left near Green Gable when they were rescued, but had agreed to send the £130 later.

A phone number they left with the hotel did not work.

The team said the pair also failed to return head torches lent to them by volunteers when descending the mountain.

‘We have tried contacting the two walkers to encourage them to settle their debt with the hotel but also to return the head torches,’ a team spokesman said.

‘We also would like to return their hospital crutch left in our vehicle that one of them with a previous leg injury had used on the ascent but again, sadly no replies to date.’

In a social media post, a spokesperson said: ‘The purpose of the post was to encourage the lost walkers to settle their hotel bill and return the missing torches and if this failed, raise funds to cover the loss. We have now received more than required.

‘The Wasdale Head Inn have been more than willing to cover the loss but we do want to reimburse them and honour our original promise to underwrite any losses.

‘Any additional funding raised will go directly towards the team’s operational costs which are in excess of £100,000 annually.’

The team was called out to rescue the men from the Corridor Route just before the Bad Step – a steep scramble on the mountain.

The men had been found by a nearby wild camper who had heard shouts and sheltered them at his tent at Chriscliffe Knotts until the team arrived.

The rescuers arrived and gave the two men extra warm jackets and microspikes to help them make a safe descent from the mountain.

One of the walkers had a previous knee injury which the team said worsened on the descent and he was given simple pain relief to help.

A spokesperson for the team added: ‘When they were safely returned to the valley bottom, wet and hungry in the early hours of the next day, Steve the bar manager at the Wasdale Head Inn kindly agreed to stay up, provide some snacks and let the two men stay in one of the unoccupied apartments at a significant 35 per cent reduced rate.

A hospital crutch was left in the rescuers’ van by one of the men, from a previous leg injury

‘The two had already agreed to pay but their money was in their tent somewhere high on the fell near Green Gable.

‘Disappointingly, in the morning they offered no thanks for the efforts of the hotel, asked for further reductions to the cost, pushed hard for a breakfast and asked if they could arrange transport to get them out of the valley.

‘The answer was: sorry no extras and please transfer money when you can.

‘Sadly there has been no payment to the hotel of the £130 outstanding room cost or thank you to Steve. Neither did the telephone number given to Steve work.

‘We as a volunteer organisation are also missing the two head torches lent to them to get them safely off the mountain.

‘The hotel has already agreed to cover the loss thanks to Steve and hotel owner. However, as we had promised to cover any loss if the walkers failed to pay, we do still feel obliged to reimburse the hotel from our own funds in order that similar hospitality can be requested in the future under similar circumstances.’