Plea to 'Instagram hikers' to be careful visiting wreckage of 1940s plane at Higher Shelf Stones in the Peak District after mountain rescue incidents

Higher Shelf Stones, where the wreckage of the United States Air Force B29 Superfortress is located, has become an unlikely social media check-in destination during 2020, with large numbers of visitors climbing the moor during the summer to photograph the remains of the aircraft.

Yet the trickle of 'Instagram hikers' has continued as winter sets in, and local mountain rescue teams have been called out to help unprepared walkers who have become lost, cold or distressed.

This week, volunteers from Glossop searched the Higher Shelf Stones area for a missing hiker who had neglected to tell them that they were already home and safe.

Glossop Mountain Rescue Team leader Patch Haley said: “We’re always glad to hear that people are safe, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep us informed. If people do make their own way down after they call emergency services for assistance, it’s vital they let us know via 101. My fear is that with higher volumes of walkers visiting the area during lockdown, more of these false alarms will leave our rescue team overstretched, and at risk of struggling to reach those who are genuinely in need of urgent assistance.”

There were two incidents at the plane crash site in just three hours over the weekend, prompting Mr Haley to explain that in colder weather, the terrain and conditions can be hostile.

“Visitors should be aware that social media only tells them half the story. Always check the weather before you set off. Conditions can change without warning at these elevations, and low cloud can reduce visibility drastically.

"It’s easy to get disorientated and wet, and that’s when hypothermia can set in. And remember to allow plenty of time to get back before sunset, as conditions underfoot will become claggy, and navigation nearly impossible. Make sure you bring food, water, a torch, and a map and compass. And be confident you can use them.”

Thirteen men were killed when the 'Bleaklow bomber' crashed onto the moor in 1948. It was part of a photographic reconnaissance unit travelling between RAF bases in Lincolnshire and Cheshire at the time. A large amount of US dollars, intended as wages for RAF Burtonwood personnel, was on board, but the money was recovered by military police.

The plane had served in World War Two, when it was used to photograph nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll, and it also took part in the Berlin Blockade airlift the same year it crashed.