Reuben Atkinson was out working on Widdybank Fell on Sunday evening (June 11) when he was acknowledged by a walker not too far away.
Not suspecting anything was wrong, Mr Atkinson waved back – but seconds later he realised it was a plea for help.
Mr Atkinson said: “He waved at me so I acknowledged him as you do.
“When I next turned round he was flat on his back. I rushed over to him. It is just what you do. You don’t think of anything else. He was in a distressed state. He was soaked through and frozen.
“He was upset because he’d had to leave his friend sheltered behind a rock to go and get help. They were both exhausted. The weather would have been a contributing factor because it was bitterly cold. I’m not out there everyday. If the sheep had not got off the fell I would not have gone to look at the gate and I wouldn’t have seen the man.”
The pair had been walking from Cow Green Reservoir, downstream and past Cauldron Snout when one of them became unwell.
Mr Atkinson was on his quad bike and took the first man, who was in his sixties, to the nearby Langdon Beck Hotel at around 5.30pm. Landlady Sue Matthews said: “Reuben was on his quad bike and brought him here because we are the closest place for help.
“It was a really windy day. It would have been up there with some of the worst days we have had. When I am out walking the dogs, it just takes your breath away.
“It can be a lot worse up here sometimes than in other places. It was raining heavily at times too.”
Police were called to the area at 6pm to help locate the second man. Members of the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team were also called by the North East Ambulance Service.
In the meantime, Mr Atkinson set off on his quad bike in search of the walker.
He said: “It did not take long to find him. It was a matter of following the footpath up from where I had initially seen the first chap. There is nowhere else you can go really up there so I knew if I kept going I would find him.
“He was happy to see me. I was quite concerned that he was going to get colder. I had my waterproofs on which I gave him and I had an empty feed bag. I cut it open and tried to keep him warm.”
Mr Atkinson stayed with the man while they waited for the emergency services to arrive.
Local farmers Daniel Bell, 20, from Forest-in-Teesdale, and James Scott, 19, from Newbiggin, had been in the Langdon Beck Hotel when they heard what was going on. Wanting to do something to help, they used their local knowledge of the area to guide the emergency services to where the second man was likely to be.
Mr Bell said: “The police came in and did not know the area. Being local I said I would go up with them and help. James was here too so he said he would come aswell.”
The man, who was also in his sixties, was located near to Widdybank Farm. He was stretchered into an ambulance at about 9.30pm and taken to the University Hospital of North Durham to be assessed.
Ms Matthews added: “We are always happy to help where we can. As far as I am aware they are both okay. It is a feel-good story and we don’t get many of them these days.”
Police left money behind the bar to buy a drink for the three farmers as a thank you for their help. Both men are from Darlington and are believed to have made a full recovery
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