north west mountain rescue team ANNUAL REPORT 2013 REPORT ANNUAL Minimum Donation nwmrt £2.00 north west mountain rescue team Intruder Alarms Portable Appliance Testing Approved Contractor Fixed Wire Testing AA Electrical Services Domestic, Industrial & Agricultural Installation and Maintenance Phone: 028 2175 9797 Mobile: 07736127027 26b Carncoagh Road, Rathkenny, Ballymena, Co Antrim BT43 7LW 10% discount on presentation of this advert The three Tavnaghoney Cottages are situated in beautiful Glenaan in the Tavnaghoney heart of the Antrim Glens, with easy access to the Moyle Way, Antrim Hills Cottages & Causeway walking trails. Each cottage offers 4-star accommodation, sleeping seven people. Downstairs is a through lounge with open plan kitchen / dining, a double room (en-suite), a twin room and family bathroom. Upstairs has a triple room with en-suite. All cottages are wheelchair accessible. www.tavnaghoney.com 2 experience the magic of geological time travel www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com Telephone: +44 (0) 28 6634 8855 4 Contents 6-7 Foreword Acknowledgements by Davy Campbell, Team Leader Executive Editor 8-9 nwmrt - Who we are Graeme Stanbridge by Joe Dowdall, Operations Officer Editorial Team Louis Edmondson 10-11 Callout log - Mountain, Cave, Cliff and Sea Cliff Rescue Michael McConville Incidents 2013 Catherine Scott Catherine Tilbury 12-13 Community events Proof Reading Lowland Incidents Gillian Crawford 14-15 Search and Rescue Teams - Where we fit in Design Rachel Beckley 16-17 Operations - Five Days in March Photography by Graeme Stanbridge, Chairperson Paul McNicholl Anthony Murray Trevor Quinn 18-19 Snowbound by Archie Ralston President Rotary Club Carluke 20 Slemish Challenge 21 Belfast Hills Walk 23 Animal Rescue 25 Mountain Safety nwmrt would like to thank all our 28 Contact Details supporters, funders and sponsors, especially Sports Council NI 5 6 Foreword by Davy Campbell, Team Leader he north west mountain rescue team was established in Derry City in 1980 to provide a volunteer search and rescue Tservice for the north west of Northern Ireland. Today our area of operations has extended to include all of Northern Ireland, with the exception of the Mourne Mountains which is covered by its own team. However, as a member of Mountain Rescue Ireland (MRI), we actively support any of the 11 other teams based on the island of Ireland. The team provides a 24-hour call-out service at the request of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) requiring a high level of commitment from our team members, who are expected to respond in all weather conditions, 365 days of the year. Skills expected from the team are wide ranging, requiring a high level of competency including medical assistance, search, recovery, technical rope rescue and incident control. In addition each member must be able to work in severe weather, navigate, operate effective communications and independently sustain themselves for a minimum of 24-hours in the course of a rescue. As Team Leader, I am immensely proud and privileged to be able to work with such a dedicated and professional group of volunteers and wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for their untiring efforts throughout 2013. Finally I would also like to acknowledge and thank those other agencies and organisations which we regularly work alongside in the interest of the casualty. These include the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Irish Coast Guard and Irish Army Air Corps for their helicopter support, PSNI, HM Coastguard, NI Ambulance Service, NI Fire and Rescue Service, Search and Rescue Dogs Association, British Red Cross, Community Rescue Service, other mountain rescue teams across Ireland, Sport NI and the NI Mountain Cave Cliff Rescue Coordinating Committee for their coordination role of mountain rescue in Northern Ireland.Also, all the individuals and organizations who contribute grants and donations without which we would not be able to operate as effectively as we do. Davy Campbell December 2013 7 Who we are by Joe Dowdall, Operations Officer he north west mountain rescue team operate over 80% of Northern Ireland and regularly assist teams in the Irish TRepublic. Sixty three volunteer members are highly trained in all the essential and varied skills, including first aid - that a mountain rescue team requires to provide an effective all year round service. The essential equipment includes four bespoke vehicles and state of the art communications. In order to respond quickly, the team is organized into three sections based in Enniskillen, Magherafelt and Ballymena, and known as West, Central and East Sections respectively. The section nearest to the incident provides an immediate response until additional resources arrive from the two other sections. To remain competent, sections train two evenings per month in multi-disciplined activities. All three sections come together regularly for scenario based exercises during which they operate under a central control. In addition, team members attend events run by MRI, Mountain Rescue Council of Scotland, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, Sport NI and Tollymore National Outdoor Centre. Our volunteers come from all professions and walks of life. They give their time freely in the service of the whole community, not just in search and rescue operations but in education, public safety and responding to events to increase awareness about the service. As part of their role, members of the team undertake a number of fund raising events throughout the year. These includes activities such as street collections and sponsored marathon running in full kit and back pack. We feel that it is the families of these volunteers, who support them - sometimes in very difficult circumstances, who are the real heroes. Together we are a team! This is who we are. 8 9 Callout Log Mountain, cave, cliff and sea cliff rescue incidents 2013 In 2013 there 4 January 21 January 24 March were a total of 37 17.08: Search for missing 14.55: Search for missing 11.16: Search for missing search and rescue aircraft on Benbradagh, person on Divis Mountain, person. Co Londonderry. Co Antrim. Teams: NWMRT, PSNI SRT operations in Teams: NWMRT, NIAS, Teams: NWMRT 13.00: Stood down, person mountain, cave, NIFRS, PSNI 15.30: Stood down, located and assisted back cliff and sea cliff 18.15: Stood down, missing person located. to his home. incidents and a fire on Benbradagh. Members: 2 Members: 10 Members: 24 further four lowland 17 February 24 March call out incidents. 14 January 15.12: Search for missing 20.40: Assist Northern 17.15: Night Search child in Knockmany Forest, Ireland Ambulance Service for vulnerable person Co Tyrone. through snow-blocked on Cavehill, Belfast, Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, PSNI roads to reach elderly Co Antrim Helicopter diabetic person, injured Teams: NWMRT, PSNI 00.00: Stood down, child after a fall. Search and rescue 18.10: Stood down, located by PSNI heli team Teams: NWMRT, NIAS, organisation teams person located. Members: 2 PSNI, HART. Members: 11 23.59: Stood down, CRS - Community Rescue person treated by NIAS. Service 16 January 22 March Members: 8 09.20: Rescue on 16.15 Evacuation of thirty NIAS - Northern Ireland Cavehill, Belfast, three people from bus 25 March Ambulance Service Co Antrim trapped in snow drifts, 13.00: Supply drop to including Hazardous Area Teams: NWMRT, PSNI North Antrim. farms cut off by snow at Response Team (HART) 10.00: Stood down, Teams: NWMRT, PSNI Torr Head. NIFRS - Northern Ireland person recovered. 21.30: Stood down all Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, Fire Rescue Service Members: 16 passengers taken to safety. PSNIMRT, RAFMR Members: 6 Successful humanitarian NWMRT - North West 17 January rescue. Mountain Rescue Team 17.35: Night search rough 22 March Members: 8 terrain. Lisbellaw, PSNI - Police Service Co Fermanagh. 14.00: Search for missing 26 March Northern Ireland. Teams: NWMRT, PSNI person at Torr Head 14.30: Supply drop Armoy Teams: NWMRT, PSNI PSNI SRT - Police 23.30: Stood down, Teams: NWMRT, PSNI person not found. 15.55: Stood down 16.15: Stood down, Service Northern Ireland Rescued safely Search and Rescue Team. Members: 8 successful humanitarian Members: 4 rescue. PSNI MRT - Police 18 January Members: 12 08.30: Search rough 23 March Service Northern Ireland 08.10: Search for family Mountain Rescue Team terrain. Lisbellaw, Co Fermanagh. trapped in snow in RAFMR - Royal Air Force Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, PSNI Glenarm, Co Antrim. Mountain Rescue MRT. Teams: NWMRT, PSNI 14.00: Stood down, 13.00: Stood down, IAAC - Irish Army Air missing person located. successful rescue. Corps Members: 18 Members: 6 10 29 June 13 July 26 August 12.50: Stretcher rescue of 11.50 Search for 10.40: Rescue of injured injured person on Slemish vulnerable missing person person from Corkey Quarry, Mountain, Co Antrim. Drumquin, Co Tyrone. Co Antrim. Teams: NWMRT, Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, CRS Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, 15.30: Stood down, 21.30: Person not located. 1200: Stood down after 28 March after person evacuated Members: 16 successful airlift by PSNI 15.10: 15.10: Rescue of to car park. Members: 16 climbers on Binevenagh Members: 8 20 July Mountain, Co Londonderry 08.00 Search for 4 September Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, 6 July vulnerable missing person 09.00: Search for IAAC helicopter. 16.55: Rescue of injured Drumquin, Co Tyrone. vulnerable missing person, 17.20: Stood down, person during Omagh Teams: NWMRT, PSNI, CRS Rosslea, Co Fermanagh, in airlifted off and returned to walking festival, Sperrin 18.00: Person not located. rugged, remote terrain. car by NWMRT. Mountains, Co Tyrone Members: 16 Teams: NWMRT, PSNI Members: 17 Teams: NWMRT. 17.20: Stood down, person 18.00: Stood down, person 27/28 July located in or near slurry 1 April evacuated off mountain to 09.00-1800: Support for lagoon, deceased. 11.00: Search for missing vehicle. the annual pilgrimage to Members: 13 person in Glenarriff forest, Members: 4 Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo.