Water woes see rescue crews called out twice last weekend
DAYS after being revealed as the busiest mountain rescue crews in the country, the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team were called out twice to help people in distress.
On Sunday last, just after 12.30 p.m., both teams were tasked to assist the Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116 helicopter with an incident near Lough Dan. The helicopter had been called to assist a man who fell on steep ground near the lake but, due to tree cover, was unable to lift the casualty.
Mountain rescue personnel moved the man on a stretcher to the lake shore and transferred him to a Greystones Coast Guard Unit boat. He was brought across the lake and then on for further medical attention.
The crews were stood down at 3.43 p.m.
The previous day, Saturday, May 27, both rescue crews were contacted by An Garda Síochána to assist two walkers who became stranded near the Glenmacnass waterfall. The walkers, who had safely crossed the river earlier in the day, found that water levels had increased significantly when they returned from their walk.
Having been contacted shortly before 6 p.m., mountain rescue swiftwater rescue personnel crossed the river to gain access to the walkers and assess their condition. They kept the pair warm while a hill party made their way to the site on foot. The walkers were then escorted to a mountain rescue vehicle for transport back to their own vehicle and the incident was stood down at 8.27 p.m.
A period of prolonged, heavy rain in lead up to this incident caused a significant rise in water levels and the mountain rescue teams are keen to point out that the walkers made the correct decision to call for help after establishing that they did not have a safe crossing point.
Their advice to anyone who finds themselves in a simliar position is to check up and down stream for a safe crossing point, keeping well clear of the water, call for help if a safe place to cross can’t be found and keep warm while waiting for help to arrive.
These two incidents highlight the multi-agency response to incidents that mountain rescue teams are often involved in and they have sent their thanks to Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116, Greystones Coast Guard Unit, the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS), Wicklow Rapid Response, An Garda Síochána, local people, and landowners for their assistance.
The previous Monday afternoon, May 22, both the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team were tasked by An Garda Síochána to assist a female walker on the Sugarloaf who approached the hill from its northern side and, on reaching steep ground, felt she was unable to climb or descend.
Mountain rescue personnel located the woman, fitted her with a harness and escorted her down from the hill using confidence roping techniques.
Recently, the latest Mountain Rescue Ireland report revealed that the two Wicklow rescue teams were the busiest in Ireland in 2016, having both been called out 66 times.