north west mountain rescue team 2017 Minimum Donation £2 Includes Annual Report for 2016 nwmrt north west mountain rescue team nwmrt north west mountain rescue team Contents Editorial 4 Acknowledgements Callout Log 6 Editor Louis Edmondson Mountain, cave, cliff and sea cliff rescue incidents 2016 Photography Thanks to all the team Uel Hamilton 9 members who have President. North West Mountain provided photographs for this publication, Rescue Team particularly Anthony Murray and also Trevor Quinn, for Team Officers & Members 10 his group and specialist photographs. Section Areas 13 Design and Print Ecclesville Printing Ltd Community and PR Events 2016 14 Belfast Hills 2016 Walking Festival 16 Broughshane Run 5K & 10K + Fun Run 18 How to contact us 20 How to donate 20 How to keep up to date with nwmrt 20 nwmrt would like to thank all our supporters, funders and sponsors especially the NI Dept of Justice. 2 3 Those 27 incidents included: Editorial • A Microlite, with two people on board, that went missing in the Mid-Glens of Antrim as it North West Mountain Rescue Team 2016 was flying to Scotland. NWMRT did an extensive search of the hills in poor visibility, only standing down when the wreckage was discovered at sea. This is the third edition of our annual publication On-Call, illustrating the work and composition of the team and highlighting some of the personnel, training and events in which • A deceased woman was discovered at the base of Benevenagh cliffs just outside we are involved to provide an essential search and rescue service for the whole of Northern Limavady. The team was tasked to recover her body. Ireland. • At the annual St. Patrick’s day walk up Slemish hill, the team had to help some walkers In common with previous years - and indeed other MR teams on the island of Ireland or in the down to safety, including a stretcher evacuation of a woman who had injured her leg. rest of the UK, 2016 was a very busy and active year for the North West Mountain Rescue Team. • During the annual Reek Sunday pilgrim ascent of Croagh Patrick, where the NWMRT The statistics speak for themselves: - join colleagues in MRI, they were tasked to attend several incidents including a casualty • 27 incidents… approximately one a fortnight, who suffered a Heart Attack, had a defibrillator administered several times and then was which took over 90 hours to resolve. airlifted to hospital. He has since made a full recovery. • 107 exercises lasting nearly 1000 hours and • 121 PR, demo and fundraising events • In very cold and icy conditions, a man and his 6 years old son, who were overdue on which took up almost 800 hours. a return from a walk on Slemish Hill were found suffering from extereme cold and disorientation. A major technical rescue involving ropes, rigging and stretcher ensued, In total, doing the work for which we exist, took nearly 2000 hours which was given feely by our lowering both of them safely to the base of the hill and home. 64 active members and if you add up all of their individual commitment hours, our volunteers collectively gave nearly 13½ thousand hours to the work of the team. Their commitment to this North West Mountain Rescue Team covers nearly 5,000 square miles (12.600 Sq.Kms) life-saving work can only be achieved by the work being put in to training, preparation and of Northern Ireland in three sections, West, Central and East, based in Enniskillen., Co. inevitably fundraising, which has now become (perhaps unfortunately) an even greater and Fermanagh, Magherafelt, Co. Derry and Broughshane, Co. Antrim respectively. Each section necessary part of the focus of voluntary emergency teams everywhere. has around 20 volunteers of all ages and gender. When a call-out comes in, the nearest section will be the first to respond, then will request other sections and team members to Nearly 300 hours were devoted to fund raising alone, on top of the vital training in workshops help if and when needed. and simulated call-out scenarios which included (to nearest 50 hours)… medical (nearly 900 hours) , search (350 hours), rope, equipment and technical work (2500 hours), navigation (500 2016 saw both a continuation and an increase in liaisons with other teams and rescue hours), communications (750 hours), helicopter (100 hours) and increasingly diverse skills that agencies both statutory and volunteer, throughout the UK and Ireland, assisting in operations are being required of the teams….winter and water safety (1000 hours). But statistics tell only and conducting joint exercises with e.g. Galloway MRT, Carrybridge RNLI, Irish and HM part of the story. They are made up of real people, giving many hours of real time to train, learn, Coastguard and Antrim area NI Fire and Rescue Service. There was also a significant liaison prepare and help for difficult, extremely diverse and….sadly sometimes…tragic situations. with many, very diverse community groups and organisations, to help raise both awareness of our work and much needed funds. Our major fundraising and community events on the Belfast Hills Walk in May and the Broughshane Run in August raised significant funding. Finally…thanks go out to all the people outside of the team who have helped to raise funds…have donated monies….given time in instruction and help…or simply just moral support, particularly the partners and families of volunteer team members. The team could not exist without their understanding and support. Fundraising Events... Training Exercises... Active Service Search and Rescue Callouts... 4 5 nwmrt Callout Log north west mountain rescue team Mountain, cave, cliff and sea cliff rescue incidents 2016 January April May May June 19 January 28 April 2 May 15 May 1 June Glenariff. Lisbellaw. Davagh Forest. Slemish Mountain. Davagh Forest. Co. Antrim. Co. Fermanagh. Cookstown. Broughshane. Cookestown. Notified by a Farmer that a PSNI notified by a local Co. Tyrone Co. Antrim. Co.Tyrone. sheep had been stranded resident of an unknown Team called by parent of Woman walking with her Call out to locate missing in a gully for a number of person calling out in missing child in Davagh family, slipped and fell a injured biker in Davagh weeks and requested our the vicinity of Topped Forest. short distance, injuring her Forest. assistance to get it down. mountain car park and Parents managed to find ankle, when descending Located by Forest Ranger Team members were reported fresh foot prints child while Team was the South East slope of whilst NWMRT on route lowered down to the in the snow going up the mobilising. Slemish Mountain but team continued as July August sheep. It was put in a bag track in direction of the 9 team members NWMRT and NIAS HART potential “carry out”. and lowered to a safe summit. Team responded. Using a 28 July 6 August Search 1 hour Liaised with HART on location. During initial search, PSNI stretcher, NWMRT carried Greyabbey. Slemish Mountain. and rescue 2 May out the extraction and arrival, who said casualty 12 members located 2 dogs, one of had just been evacuated Co. Down. Broughshane. 5 hours. which was caught (Beagle) carry down to the waiting organisation Cuilcagh Mountain. with minor injuries. Contacted about female Co. Antrim. and brought to the police Co. Fermanagh. ambulance. teams car. 19 members who was missing and had Man with two children 20 members left a message that “life West Section training 4 hours 4 hours had difficulties descending After further searches in the area, when two was not worth living”, Slemish due to an old CRS - Community Rescue March 12 March by PSNI Dog, NIFRS etc, women went missing from 10 June after breaking up with her knee injury. Service NWMRT were stood down, a charity walk. boyfriend. Members doing Glenariff. with PSNI to review the Antrim Plateau and DWMRT - Dublin & PSNI tasked the team to Glens. Co. Antrim. Stand By put in place in maintenance at the Wicklow Mountain Rescue Co. Antrim. situation in daylight. No case PSNI tasked NWMRT. Slemish Rescue Post were further action taken. respond. West Section Major multi-agency search Team Female runner passed the conducted a search of top Missing person then found called and assisted the first stage of the Fell Race - 10 members for a Microlite aircraft safe and well. man and two children off of mountain and route of with two people on board, FSAR - Foyle Search and she did not reach stage 2. 3 hours walk. 14 members the mountain. Rescue reported missing in heavy 2 NWMRT members The missing women were cloud and fog above the 1 hour 4 members NIAS - Northern Ireland dispatched along the path eventually found in a pub, area. 2 hours taken by the runner and 31 July Ambulance Service on totally opposite side of Search called off as light 7 August including Hazardous Area runner was located. mountain. Croagh Patrick faded. Tragically the Mountain. Lurig Mountain. Response Team (HART) She was feeling sick and 20 members wreckage was later found dizzy. 5 hours out at sea. Westport. Cushendall. NIFRS - Northern Ireland Co. Mayo. Co. Antrim. Fire and Rescue Service The runner was walked 30 May 14 members back to Mobile 4, treated Black Hill. Belfast. 14 hours Assist other MRI teams Ambulance seen parked at NWMRT - North West by a NWMRT member - from around Ireland on the foot of Lurig. Mountain Rescue Team and rested for 30 mins NWMRT put on “Stand 18 June annual Reek Sunday Two members of a local by” for missing camper on pilgrimage up Croagh walking group informed MMRT - Mourne Mountain before she insisted on Benevenagh walking back to base.