A number of people were rescued and assisted by the Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue Team over the past week, with a competitor in the annual Warriors Run having to be airlifted off Knocknarea mountain and a French tourist stretchered off Benbulben on Thursday.
Team Leader Iain Mounsey directed both operations.
“We received a request for help on Thursday morning at 12.30 from the Gardaí. I initiated a full call out of the team as reports indicated that the casualty, a French tourist, had suffered a serious ankle fracture and the weather conditions were cold and wet. One team member was in the general vicinity and hiked up to the casualty to stabilise her and protect from hypothermia. A first response team of four more rescuers was quickly on the scene and by the time our stretcher team arrived the lady had been splinted and stabilised. We carried out a long stretcher evacuation in heavy rain and were very ably assisted by two Czechoslovakian walkers. We transferred the lady to a waiting ambulance at Luke’s Bridge from where she was conveyed to Sligo University Hospital for surgery. We wish her a speedy recovery and wish to thank the two Czechoslovakian walkers without whom it would have been a longer operation,” he said.
The following Saturday of the Warriors Run, the team were on duty near the summit of Knocknarea where they assisted in a number of incidents with injured runners.
One casualty suffered head and lower leg injuries and, following assessment, an airlift was deemed appropriate.
The Coastguard Helicopter based in Strandhill was on scene within 15 minutes and following treatment, the casualty was airlifted to the emergency Department in Sligo.
