MAYO MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM
INCIDENTS MMRT RESPONDED TO BY YEAR
2006
28
Dec: Team put on standby to assist Galway team with injured person in
Leenane/Lough Fooey area. Person located with broken ankle and escorted to
safety by Galway team. Mayo MRT stood down.
3
Oct: Team alerted to assist a German climber who has sustained a leg
injury while descending Maumtrasna mountain off the Westport Leenaune
Road. Initial response team from MMRT mobilised, Galway Team also
mobilised to assist. Favorable weather conditions permit the Coast guard
helicopter to evacuate the casualty off the mountain direct to Mayo
General Hospital for treatment.
26
Sept: Gardai request assistance of team in search for 89 year old female
who had been reported missing in Drummin by her concerned son. Because of
the onset of darkness and the uneven terrain in which the woman is
suspected to have gone missing the team request the assistance of the
Coastguard helicopter with infra red camera. As team arrive on location to
commence search the missing woman turns up by car having been visiting
neighbours some 6 miles away.
23
Sept: Team involved in a call out on Croagh Patrick. A woman in her 50's
sustained an ankle injury about two thirds of the way up the mountain. The
casualty was carried off the mountain by a stretcher team from Mayo
Mountain Rescue Team and was removed to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar
for further treatment.
20
Sept: Team called out to the assistance of 74 year old male on Croagh
Patrick who had sustained an injury and was unable to proceed further.
Stretcher party mobilised and casualty carried off the mountain and
removed to Mayo General Hospital for further treatment.
10
Sept: Team called out to the assistance of a female pilgrim on Croagh
Patrick who had taken a fall near the ridge and has a suspect spinal
injury. Stretcher party mobilised from Murrisk car park and casualty
carried off the front (Murrisk side) of the mountain and removed to Mayo
General Hospital for further treatment.
9
Sept: First response team from Mayo Mountain Rescue involved in a
"walk off" from front of Croagh Patrick. Pilgrim descending
mountain on path at Murrisk side became weary and had difficulty
proceeding. Team located casualty above the valley and assisted the
casualty in descent to Murrisk. No further treatment of casualty
necessary.
3
Sept: A 76 year old man got into difficulty near the summit of Croagh
Patrick late in the evening after departing from Murrisk at about 3pm in
the afternoon. Another climber descended to Murrisk to raise the alarm. A
first response team searched the path from Murrisk and located the man,
suffering from exposure, just below the first turn on the cone. Since he
had lost the use of his legs and was unable to proceed further, a
stretcher team was mobilised and reached the casualty shortly after 2am.
Casualty stretchered off the mountain and removed to Mayo General Hospital
in Castlebar for further treatment.
25
Aug: Team were called out to the assistance of a woman in difficulty near
the summit of Croagh Patrick. Woman had suffered a lower leg injury
necessitating evacuation off the mountain by stretcher team. Casualty
removed to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar for further treatment.
10
Aug: Team were called out to assist a family in difficulty near the summit
of Croagh Patrick. An 8 year old boy had sustained a head injury and his
15 year old brother had sustained a knee and head injury while attempting
to halt his younger brother's fall. 8 yr old treated on mountain and
deemed fit to walk off. 15 yr old stretchered off the mountain by Mayo
Mountain Rescue team and removed to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar for
further treatment.
8
Aug: Team were called out to assist a 76 year old female located above the
1st station on Croagh Patrick who had sustained an leg injury. Casualty
stretchered off the mountain by Mayo Mountain Rescue team and removed to
Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar for further treatment.
6
Aug:: Team called to 2 incidents while fundraising at Murrisk Car Park:
1. 2 members of Team went to the assistance of a pilgrim in difficulty
some distance above the statue. The pilgrim was uninjured and the team
members walked them off the mountain to safety.
2. Member of team treated pilgrim who had dislocated a finger. Casualty
advised to attend MGH for further treatment.
30
July (Reek Sunday): Mayo MRT coordinated safety and rescue for the 9
Mountain Rescue and 1 Cliff Rescue Teams attending on the mountain for the
Annual Pilgrimage. Wet and windy weather on Saturday evening ensured that
numbers were down on last year with a generous estimate of under 20,000
people on the mountain in the course of the 24 hrs of Sunday. Despite the
wet start to Sunday, incidents and casualties were minimal with the
majority occurring during the early part of the day in wet and slippery
conditions. In all Mountain Rescue dealt with 24 incidents a number of
which required helivac off the mountain by one of two Air Corps
helicopters put at our disposal for the day. Main incidents on the day
involved lower leg and ankle injuries, some young children in distress and
some concerns about chest pains and general medical conditions. In
addition MR and Order of Malta personnel assisted numerous pilgrims
treated with blisters and barefoot difficulties along with handling a good
number of missing persons alerts.
22
July: Team were called out to assist a 42 year old Galway woman who had
sustained an ankle injury near the summit of Croagh Patrick. Casualty
stretchered off the mountain by Mayo Mountain Rescue team and removed to
Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar for further treatment.
18
July: Team were called out to assist a 56 year old American woman who had
got into difficulties while climbing Croagh Patrick. The woman had been
overcome by the afternoon heat and had also suffered an ankle injury. A
stretcher party from Mayo Mountain Rescue team removed the casualty from
the mountain and she was sent to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar for
further treatment.
16 July: Casualty injured in fall near the ridge of Croagh Patrick on
Murrisk side early in morning. Team mobilised. Favorable weather
conditions and location of casualty made it possible for an airlift off
mountain by Coast Guard helicopter direct to MGH Castlebar.
1
July: A Father and daughter climbing Croagh Patrick suffered a dual fall,
Father incurred some bruises and scrapes. Daughter suffered more serious
injuries including fractures whilst trying to halt his fall. Team
mobilised to mountain to effect evacuation of female casualty by stretcher
party. Father was able to accompany team to base on foot.
25
June: Members of Team mobilised to Croagh Patrick for casualty who had
fallen on mountain. Assisted casualty to walk off mountain.
21
June: One male member of a group suffered a seizure whilst climbing Croagh
Patrick. In the course of the attack casualty also suffered a head injury.
Group made contact with Emergency Services who got MMRT to follow up. Team
leader contacted group and ascertained that they were escorting casualty
down mountain by themselves. 2 members of team mobilised to Croagh Patrick
as a precautionary measure where they met with group and casualty at base.
Casualty removed to MGH by ambulance for evaluation.
10
June: MMRT coordinated safety and checkpoints on Mweelrea leg of 4 peaks
charity challenge involving 58 teams of participants.
14
April: Couple climbing Mweelrea from Doolough side had got into difficulty
whilst descending and were trapped on a cliff face. Team mobilised to
Doolough RV point for possible steep ground rescue. Because of good
weather conditions and approaching darkness, the assistance of Coast Guard
helicopter was also sought. Helicopter located couple and airlifted them
to safety. Team stood down.
13
April: Alerted by Gardai who had been contacted by a woman on Croagh
Patrick who was concerned about her husbands overdue return from the
summit of the mountain. Two members of the team in the area made their way
to the woman's location on the mountain and whilst planning the next stage
of action, her husband arrived on the scene safe and well. Rest of team
not mobilised.
8
April: Contacted by Gardai re missing person on Achill Island, Full team
put on standby for search next morning. Achill based MMRT members located
person and walked them off mountain. Remainder of team stood down.
5
March: Team mobilised for rescue of 40 yr old male who had fallen and
sustained leg injuries on North East face of Croagh Patrick. As casualty
was understood to be in a difficult to access area, with light fading fast
and temperature dropping to below freezing, the Coast Guard helicopter
from Sligo was summoned in to assist. After searching and failing to
locate casualty in last reported position, helicopter dropped a 1st
response crew on ridge and returned to Sligo to refuel. Team commenced a
search ascent from Murrisk side of mountain. Casualty located about 500m
up mountain alongside pilgrim path, where he had managed to descend to
with the assistance of his colleague. Stretchered off mountain by team and
ambulanced to hospital for treatment.
28
Jan: Members of team on winter skills training exercise on Ben Nevis in
Scotland assisted a casualty with knee injury in a Walk off from the
summit of Ben Nevis. The walk off took almost 5 hours.
16
Jan: Assistance of team requested by Gardai in search for missing person
in low lying difficult to access terrain outside Westport. Team involved
in night search and removal of deceased casualty from scene.
01
Jan: Alerted about missing walker on Nepin Beg Range: Turned up safe
before team was mobilised.
01 Jan: Casualty Walk off Croagh Patrick
2005
29
Dec: Alerted to possible missing person in Clifden area - Team not
required.
20 Nov: Missing person on Achill Island: Team mobilised assisted by Coast
Guard S&R helicopter, Missing person located by spotters and walked
off mountain.
18 Nov: 6 GMIT Students missing on Mweelrea: Students became disorientated
when mist came down, MMRT search team went onto mountain at 2100hrs and
searched last reported location and ridge of mountain. Missing party made
their own way off mountain when mist lifted.
18
Sept: Took part in a simulated train crash training exercise at
Claremorris railway station organised by Health Service Executive West
involving voluntary emergency personnel from MMRT, Order of Malta, Red
Cross, Civil Defence, etc.
29-30 Aug: Search for missing person on Croagh Patrick, Over two days 2
teams searched possible routes along mountain from Lecanvey, Murrisk and
Taoibhnacroighe (Rear side of mountain). Missing person turned up
elsewhere.
August: 5 rescues on Croagh Patrick
31st July (Reek Sunday): Mayo MRT coordinated safety and rescue for the 9
Mountain Rescue and 1 Cliff Rescue Teams attending on the mountain for the
Annual Pilgrimage involving upwards of 25,000 pilgrims on the mountain. Favorable
weather conditions and the assistance of 2 Air Corps
helicopters for the day resulted in minimal casualties and carry offs.
14
July: 52 yr old male experiencing severe chest pains, located over half
way up the final (steep part) of the main pilgrim path. First response
medical team dispatched with basic life support and oxygen. Stretcher team
evacuated the patient to MMRT base at Taobhnacroibhe where waiting
ambulance brought him to MGH Castlebar. Thankfully patient made full
recovery after stay in hospital. Click here for Mayo News letter from patient
July
Total: 6 Rescues on Croagh Patrick
11 June: MMRT coordinated safety and checkpoints for Mweelrea leg of the
annual 4 Peaks Charity Challenge.
June Total: 4 rescues on Croagh Patrick
May Total: 2 rescues on Croagh Patrick
March: Team alerted to missing person on Achill Island, Local MMRT members
mobilised and located person and walked them off mountain. Remainder of
team stood down.
January: MMRT assistance requested by Kerry Mountain Rescue in search for
missing person in the Mangerton/Black Valley/Carrauntoohil area of Kerry.
18 members of MMRT assisted in the search over 2 days.
Update: On November 2nd 2006 a sheep farmer came across some human remains
that had recently been dislodged by a landslide from a ravine in the area
of Horses Glen on Mangerton Mountain. The remains were recovered by Kerry
Mountain Rescue Team and seemed to fit the description of the missing
walker. The identity of the remains were was later confirmed to be those
of the missing climber.