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NEED TO KNOW
The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team carried out a 7-hour rescue to save two hikers on a late-night winter hike
A hotel at the bottom of the peak offered the hikers a room at a reduced rate to spend the rest of the night, but never received payment
After going public with their story, the rescue team reimbursed the hotel with the help of more than 200 donations
A pair of hikers were rescued from a tall English mountain — and then skipped on the bill for the hotel that offered them a place to stay, according to a rescue team.
In apost on Facebook, the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (WMRT) detailed the "7-hour avoidable rescue" of two young male hikers who got lost amid "treacherous" winter weather in December on Scafell Pike — England's tallest peak at 3,209 feet, perBackpacker.
When the hikers were back at the valley bottom, they were "wet and hungry" and in need of a place to spend the rest of the night, the rescue group claimed.
The bar manager at the Wasdale Head Inn offered to stay up, provide the pair with some snacks and let them stay in one of the unoccupied apartments at a 35% discount," according to WMRT's post.
The rescue team said the two men agreed to the manager's offer, but insisted they'd left their money in their tent on the mountain.
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"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," WMRT wrote.
The hotel stood firm on its original offer and asked the men to transfer the money when possible. However, in the weeks since, the money never came in — and the phone number the hikers left didn't work.
In addition to skipping out on their hotel bill, the hikers also took with them the gear the rescue team lent them to safely return down the mountain, including two head torches, according to the organization, who said their own attempts to contact the men were also unsuccessful.
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"We avoid judging those we rescue but struggle to understand when the rescued take advantage of hospitality provided by our supporters in the valley," they wrote.
Although the hotel agreed to absorb the cost of the loss, saying WMRT didn't have to pay, the rescue team still hoped to reimburse them, which is why they went public with their story.
Much to their surprise, their Facebook post received more than £3,600 (about $4,400),
"It's a remarkable amount of money- we only really needed about £130," WMRT's Richard Warren told BBC Radio Cumbria. "We are bowled over by the generosity of support."
The team has since closed the fund and promised any additional money will go towards their operational costs.
The rescue team stated they hope that the two hikers will see the post and rectify their errors. "They might also reflect on the kindness they were offered that night by the staff at the Wasdale Head Inn and our own volunteer team following their eventful visit to Cumbria," the rescue group wrote.
In a comment on the post, the Wasdale Head Inn thanked the rescue team and highlighted the dedication their staff showed the two hikers.
"Luckily, this is the first time in living memory (45 years or more) that those rescued have behaved like this," the hotel commented, "however, the messages of support and donations for the team from so many people more than make up for this one selfish episode."
Read the original article onPeople
