Mountain rescuers called to save hikers on magic mushrooms

CNN
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Mountain rescuers in the UK’s Lake District were called out to help hikers who became unwell after taking magic mushrooms.

Keswick Mountain Rescue Team were alerted to the intoxicated “group of young adult males” by several calls from passersby on Saturday, the volunteer-led organization reported.

Eleven rescuers were dispatched to the team who appeared to be disorientated in the Stoneycroft, Newlands and Seathwaite area of the national park in northwestern England.

“Two in the group were feeling unwell including the driver in the party,” the rescuers posted in a log about the incident on their website.

“The casualties were walked down and given advice by the team medic regarding the timing of their onward travel,” said the post, which revealed that it took two hours to resolve the incident.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lake District is England’s largest national park. The park’s official website warns visitors that there are a few key hazards, apart from weather extremes, that visitors should be aware of, including rough and rugged mountain terrain.

Unpaid volunteers from the mountain rescue team are on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, “in all weather,” according to its website.

A leaflet issued by the Lake District Search and Rescue Mountain Association advises visitors to stay safe and be sensible while exploring the region.

It states: “Mountain rescuers will always respond to emergencies but many calls are ‘avoidable with proper preparation’ and have the potential to compromise other life-threatening emergencies.”

Magic mushrooms – of which the active ingredient is psilocybin – are known for their hallucinogenic effects.

In recent years there has been an increasing amount of research into potential benefits of psilocybin when treating mental disorders. However, the compound remains a Class A drug in the UK.