What baaad luck!
Unfortunate teen hiker is f lattened by a woolly jumper
A TEENAGE hiker was caught completely unawares on Friday when a sheep fell from a height and landed on top of him.
It happened in the Mourne Mountains in Co. Down and required a large rescue operation.
The hiker required an overnight stay in hospital but he clearly provided a soft landing, as the sheep was able to walk away from the scene unaided and had no injuries.
The youth’s family were relieved when their son was released from hospital early yesterday morning following the freak incident.
The teenager was struck by the sheep that had slipped from a crag above him. He was walking with a group on Slieve Bearnagh.
A mountain rescue team arrived to the scene, near the Hare’s Gap area, according to a representative for the team.
‘The team received a request for assistance from an injured walker. The male youth was walking with a group in the vicinity of the Hare’s Gap when hit by a sheep falling from an adjacent crag,’ the spokesman said.
‘The team responded and located the casualty on steep ground on Slieve Bearnagh. The casualty was assessed and treated for a range of potential injuries including head, neck, back, abdominal and leg injuries.
‘When packaged, the casualty was evacuated by stretcher to track access and a team vehicle. After a short transfer to road access, the casualty was handed over to the NIAS [Northern Ireland Ambulance Service] for further treatment and the journey to hospital. Seventeen members responded.’ The rescue took three and a half hours.’ The spokesman confirmed that the sheep was unharmed. The hiker’s mother, in a post on Facebook, revealed that her son was released from hospital early on Saturday. ‘I would like to thank the 17 members who rescued [our son] yesterday!’ she wrote. ‘You are all extremely professional and do a fantastic work! It’s only when you’re at the scene you realise how tricky it is to bring someone in such pain off the mountain.
‘The work you all do is amazing & we thank you so much for bringing [him] down safely! ‘The NIAS were absolutely brilliant too, the two guys were just great, keeping us informed at all times!
‘Incredibly, he was discharged from hospital around 1am with no broken bones. In a lot of pain but in good spirits!’