Four mountain rescue call-outs in two hours Paraglider suffers multiple injuries
WICKLOW’S two mountain rescue teams experienced one of the busiest days of the year so far as they responded to four separate call-outs on Saturday.
The taskings came from the gardaí and ambulance control. While the four incidents took part in different locations and stretched the teams’ resources, the response also highlighted the value of inter-agency cooperation.
At 11.20 a.m. the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and the Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team were tasked with helping a hillwalker who collapsed in Fraughan Rock Glen while climbing Lugnaquilla. The patient was assessed, accompanied from the hill on foot and the incident was stood down at 1.43 p.m.
At 12.05 p.m. the National Ambulance Service requested assistance after reports of an injured mountain biker in Ticknock. A mountain rescue doctor helped treat the biker for a number of injuries before the patient was airlifted by Rescue 116 at 3.30 p.m. The incident was stood down at 4.01 p.m.
At 12.12 p.m. the two teams responded to a climber who fell A paraglider sustained multiple injuries in an incident on the Sugarloaf last Saturday.
Both the Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team were alerted to the incident at around 1.20 p.m. while Kilmacanogue Community First responders were first on the scene. An onlooker said that two first responders arrived at the car park, where they were informed by bystanders that the incident was actually on the Sugarloaf.
A witness said that the man had suffered multiple injuries but appeared to be conscious.
The paraglider was attended by mountain rescue personnel, Wicklow Rapid Response and a crewman from the Rescue 117 helicopter before being airlifted to hospital.
around 30 metres while in Glendalough. They were assessed and treated by mountain rescue medics before being airlifted by Rescue 116. The rescue operation was stood down at 1.40 p.m.
Speaking about that incident, a mountain rescue spokesperson said: ‘Any fall of that magnitude has to be taken very seriously and we treated the incident as such. The injured party was treated at the scene before being airlifted by Rescue 116 to hospital and we hope they make a good recovery’.
The fourth call-out, at 1.19 p.m., was a request to assist a para-glider who sustained multiple injuries on the Great Sugar Loaf. The para-glider was attended by mountain rescue personnel, Wicklow Rapid Response and the winch-man from Rescue 117, before being airlifted to hospital. The incident was stood down at 3.04 p.m.
Mountain rescue would like to thank Kilmacanogue Community First Responders, who had a member first on scene on the Sugarloaf, Wicklow Rapid Response, Rescue 116, Rescue 117, National Ambulance Service (NAS), and An Garda Síochána for their assistance.
A mountain rescue spokesperson said: ‘While days like this one are rare, they show how important cooperation between voluntary and statutory emergency services is’.