Three rescues in Mournes

Three rescues in Mournes

31 July 2024

IT was a busy weekend for the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.

The team was involved in a number of incidents over a three-day period.

The team received their first call-out on Friday at around 3pm when they were contacted by police to assist a member of a walking group who had taken unwell near the Hare’s Gap.

Team members assisted the individual, who received further treatment from the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance (NIAS) for further treatment.

On Saturday, just after 10am, the team received another request from police to assist a walker who had fallen near the summit of Slieve Donard, sustaining a lower leg injury.

Due to the difficult nature of the extraction from the summit, the team requested air support from JRCC, and a rescue helicopter responded from 

Dublin. Unfortunately due to low cloud, air extraction had to be ruled out.

The team focused on stabilising the injury and evacuated the person via stretcher carrier with the help of the PSNI’s SAR team and a group of mountain runners.

A total of 17 people were involved in returning the person to safety.

On Sunday, the team were again contacted by police just after 11.15am to assist with a walker who fell and sustained a suspected arm fracture close to the Donard/Commedagh saddle.

Having had initial first aid and assistance from other walkers, the injured person was able to descend to Donard Forest where the team members met the party and treated the injury.

The injured person was later transported to hospital.