The local Mountain Rescue team here in the South East of Ireland is on standby this Christmas after getting a call from the "North Pole". Santa likes to stop off on the Comeragh or Galtee mountains where he gives Rudolf and all the other reindeer a well earned rest on their long trip. So just in case he needs a push or a pull to get going he has asked the Mountain Rescue team if they will help, so he can deliver all the presents to the girls and boys this Christmas.
SEMRA would like to wish everyone (including SANTA) venturing into the mountains this holiday season a safe and enjoyable trip.
SEMRA's most recent recruits were treated to a guided tour of the Irish Coast Guard HeliBase at Waterford Airport recently, as part of their preparation to become full team members. The visit included an opportunity to get "up close and personal" with the magnificent Sikorsky S61 rescue helicopter. This aircraft, with its distinctive red and white livery, has been the difference between life and death for many a person in distress on land and sea. No less impressive are the inspirational men and women who make up its crew, on the ground and in the air. SEMRA is very grateful to them all for the warm welcome received on the night and for giving our newest members, in their own words, "the highlight of the training so far". As a token of SEMRA's appreciation, a framed team insignia was presented to Dara Fitzpatrick (pilot) on behalf of all our esteemed colleagues based at Waterford.
The picture shows from left to right:
Matt Joy, Deputy Team Leader, SEMRA
Ray Bradfield, Deputy Team Leader, SEMRA
Christy Mahady, Winch Crew, IRCG
Dara Fitzpatrick, Pilot, IRCG
Mark McDermott, Pilot, IRCG
Mike Sandover, Winch Crew, IRCG
Paddy Looney, Deputy Team Leader, SEMRA
At around 3.30pm on Sunday, November 1st, 2009, the mountain rescue team was alerted to an incident in the Comeragh Mountains. A lady hillwalker had fallen and injured her lower leg during an organised walk around Lough Coumshingaun. Two members of the mountain rescue team happened to be near where the accident occurred and went to her aid, and were able to direct more mountain rescue volunteers to the exact location. It was decided to call on the Coast Guard helicopter from Waterford to evacuate the woman.
The Marine Rescue Coordinating Center in Dublin tasked the Sikorsky S61 helicopter, which was flying over the accident site within ten minutes. The hillwalker was airlifted and taken to Waterford Regional Hospital. Mountain rescue personnel escorted the remainder of the walking group off the mountains to their cars.
This is the second incident in the south east in six days to which the team have responded. Earlier in the week, the team rescued twelve people in the Galtee mountains in Tipperary after they had gotten lost in atrocious weather conditions.
In a major search and rescue operation on the Galtee mountains in Tipperary, twelve people were located and taken to safety by mountain rescue volunteers who came to their aid from all over the south east of Ireland. On October 27th 2009, the mountain rescue team was alerted by Gardai in Cahir when the group rang the emergency 999/112 number and requested assistance. The twelve, comprising of adults and teenagers, had climbed Galtymore earlier in the day, but had gotten lost in dense fog and mist on their descent.
At 1600hrs, the mountain rescue team issued a full team call out to all its members and set up an incident command post at the top of the Black Road, that leads into the mountains from the Cahir Mitchelstown road. By 16.30, the first search teams were on their way up the mountains to search for the group in what were described as terrible weather conditions. An incident commander was in mobile phone contact with the group, who were able to describe their position on the mountains. At 18hrs, up to thirty mountain rescue members were searching from Galtymore to Greenane, an area of 10 square km, concentrating on the southern slopes of the mountains. Because of very poor weather conditions, rain, fog, and very strong wind, the group were only located at 21.30 that night. They were rewarmed in team shelters and assessed by team medics, given hot drinks and extra clothing. When more mountain rescue members reached the area, the party was escorted to team off-road vehicles and driven back to their cars. All the group were very cold, but none needed hospital treatment. All the mountain rescue search parties were off the mountains by 23.30hrs.
SEMRA would like to thank all who assisted in this search and rescue, the Gardai in Cahir, and the Coast Guard Helicopter crew in Waterford, who had been but on standby, its own volunteer members, who worked in atrocious weather condition to achieve this successful outcome.
Just after 15:00 on Sunday, August 23rd, the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Team were contacted by Gardai in Tipperary about an incident in the Galtee mountains. A walking group of five (an adult and four children) had gone walking to Lough Muskry, and on their way back down, two of the children found they were unable to cross a river that had risen by a few feet in a matter of minutes because of a localised cloud burst. The mountain rescue team were training on the far side of the Galtees and within 5 minutes of receiving the call, had sent two 4x4 vehicles and its new command and control vehicle, along with thirteen team members and a Search and Rescue Dog team to the incident. The team also contacted Irish Coast Guard to put a helicopter on standby if it was needed.
At around 16:15 the team located the walking group, one member of the team made his way across the swollen river and was able to secure ropes to the far bank. The children were then put into harnesses and, with safety ropes attached, were winched one at a time across the river to safety. The children were rewarmed, given food and then taken back to their car. Members of the rescue team said they had never seen this river in spate with that amount of water, lower down the river boulders were being moved by the force of the water.
The South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) would like to thank everyone for their help in the rescue today, the Gardai, Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA), Irish Coast Guard, and its own members. We would also like to say well done to the adult and the children for doing all the correct things in the situation in which they found themselves.
Name: Bono
Lives: Co.Kilkenny
Occupation: Qualified SARDA air scenting search dog.
Interests: Finding the ball, sandwiches, going for a dip.
In the team since: 2004 - and I don't think I was the first pup to join SEMRA either.
Current position in the team: On a search, I do the work of fifty humans. I also try to be a good influence on Mick Grant.
Lowlights: Always getting the blame when somebody piddles on a rucksack. Being told to shut up at team debriefs.
Highlights: Getting out of the van for a stretch after a long journey. Giving the dogsbodies a good workout on training days. Keeping Irene Codd awake on Croagh Patrick.
Name: Mary J Mullins
Lives: Horse and Jockey, in Tipperary, “The Home of Hurling”
Occupation: Community Worker
Interests: When not on the mountains, long walks with my Red Setter through the fields at home, going to concerts, skiing, swimming, coffee with the girls, different kinds of coffee.
In the team since: Member of “Club 2000”
Current position in the team: Night chef at the winter training session, bread and butter pudding the speciality.
Previous Positions held: Secretary, Chair.
Lowlights: Bono’s bark, and my lunch disappearing when he’s around. Losing my “bad hair day” title. Returning from Kerry a few years back after we had not found the missing person; it was a very hard journey to make.
Highlights: Training as a search manager, and then being able to use its scientific approach to saving lives. Being part of a team that is going from strength to strength. Getting involved in IMRA and being elected to the national executive. Meeting President Mary McAleese. The friends I have made in the fantastic bunch of people that make up SEMRA.
Name: Ray Bradfield
Lives: Co. Waterford;
in self-imposed exile from The People's Republic of Cork
Occupation: Dentist
Interests: Music, chess, politics, amateur dramatics, history, poetry, astronomy, hillwalking and curries.
In the team since: 2004
Current position in the team: Deputy Team Leader
Previous positions held: Treasurer
Lowlights: Failing to appear bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at work after a fruitless all-night search over the far end of the Galtys.
Highlights: Friendship, abseils, off-road excursions, winching, banter, searching, finding, learning, teaching, leading, following; most of all, being accepted into the extraordinary group of individuals that is Mountain Rescue in these islands.
Name: David P O Brien
Lives: Co.Waterford (still not okay with admitting to a recent hop over the Tipp border)
Occupation: Teacher, or more often than not, a crowd control specialist.
Interests: Any outdoor activity, lifesaving, reading, anything emergency service related.
In the team since: February 2008
Current position in the team: Full Team Member
Lowlights: I am too new to the team to have a lowlight, but I do hate the fact that Jimmy Barry always gets there first.
Highlights: Croagh Patrick; the middle-of-the-night callout; coming off the Wicklow Mountains one afternoon after an all-night search in heavy snow. Just as we came below cloud base, the first sight my party witnessed was a RAF Sea King and the IAC AW 139 in the air together. We all just stopped and, I think, savoured a small piece of history.
I have read Dr James A Begg’s account of British Royal Navy Rescue Helicopters (based at HMS Gannet) in his book, Rescue 177, where he describes going to shouts in the Atlantic in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He refers to re-fuelling in Derry and flying very low along the shores of Lough Foyle for fear of being shot out of the sky. Haven’t we moved forward a long way in a short number of years?
Name: Karl O' Grady
Lives: County Tipperary ( just around the corner from Jimmy Barry)
Occupation: Life guard and swimming instructor
Interests: Rock climbing, mountaineering, cycling, swimming, Irish language.
In the team since: September 2005 - I joined at 17 years of age but had to wait until I was 18 to officially become part of the team and take part in training!
Current position in the team: Committee Member / Tracker
Lowlights: Going on holidays and coming home to find out that I've missed a callout. And not being old enough to drive any Team Vehicles yet!
Highlights: Hearing my pager going off for the first time and that buzz you get never dies. Helping someone safely down off the mountain and seeing the look of relief on their face. Flying in a helicopter for the first time. Navigating for a search dog and handler on callouts and seeing them at work. Friday night training up the Galtys that often went on all hours into the night.
Name: Irene Codd
Lives: Clonmel
Occupation: Teacher
Interests: Mountain Rescue (suprise, suprise), basketball, outdoor adventure stuff (hillwalking, climbing ...)
In the team since: 2004
Current position in the team: Chairperson
Previous positions held: Training officer and acting Secretary
Lowlights:Waking up at 4am to the sound of the pager (Once 4.05 comes i'm fine again!!)
Highlights: Croagh Patrick (I love to wake up on the mountain with Bono licking my face). Rolling down the hill with Paddy Looney in the Comeragh's. Telling Jimmy Barry what to do (my new favourite thing to do). Oh I could go on ... Doing MR stuff in the sunshine (its so rare!).
Legal Notice: The owners of this site wish to point out that the above named Bono refers to the well known SARDA search dog and not the lead singer of an up and coming Dublin rock band.
Name: Jimmy Barry
Lives: County Tipperary. Just ten minutes from the Galtees.
Occupation: Logistics Manager
Interests: History, poetry, canoeing, photography.
In the team since: 2000. In 1999 I met Pat and Roy when they gave a presentation about SEMRA in Aherlow. Pat invited me to the open night in Clonmel and asked me to bring along a few people who might be interested. Where did the time go?
Current position in the team: Press/Public Relations Officer
Previous positions held: Deputy Team Leader
Lowlights: Knots!
Highlights: Team mates. Friends in other MR teams all over Ireland, all over the world. Watching the sun rise from the top of Croagh Patrick. Sitting on Galtybeg at four in the morning drinking tea. Being able to say "it's ok, you're safe now". The support I get from my family and friends.
The sun came out on Saturday June 20th, for SEMRA's annual Waterford street collection, a pleasant change from last year when it bucketed down for the whole day. As so often before, the people of Waterford were very generous indeed to their local, voluntary, Mountain Rescue team. SEMRA could not exist without the funds raised at our flag days, and the kind words of support received are very much appreciated. SEMRA is grateful to An Garda Siochana, Waterford City Council, and its friends in the local media who helped to get the word out, also we acknowledge our colleagues in the Search And Rescue Dogs Association, who took time out of a busy training weekend to come and help on the day.
In a major search and rescue operation on the Galtee Mountains in County Tipperary on Sunday evening, April 26th 2009, two people were rescued and nine were assisted off the Mountains. In a five-hour operation, involving search teams from SEMRA and a search dog team from the "Search & Rescue Dog Association" (SARDA), two female walkers that had become separated from a family group were located. The two, who were very cold and wet, were found between Galtymore and Galtybeg, in what was described as terrible weather conditions. They were given clothing and food and rewarmed before they were taken off the mountain. The remainder of the family party also became lost on Galtymore, but managed to make their way into the Glen of Aherlow. As the search for the two female walkers began, four other walkers became lost on Galtymore. Fortunately for them, they were able to make their way down the mountain and be picked up by Mountain Rescue personnel, or made their own way back to their cars.
SEMRA would like to thank two hillwalkers from the UK who gave assistance in locating the two female walkers, their intervention and help saved a lot of time and was much appreciated by all. Team Leader, Michael Power, said "very poor weather conditions descended on the mountains and people who were unprepared got caught out," he reminded people that if they intend to walk in the mountains, "they should go prepared, with map & compass and the proper clothing, footwear and food, and not to rely on mobile phones to get out of trouble."
Members of South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association made their TV debuts recently when a team training day was featured in a special edition of Nationwide, RTE's long-running magazine programme. A camera crew followed the team as it went through a real-time scenario which involved deployment of personnel and equipment by the Coast Guard Sikorsky S61 helicopter, followed by a search and rescue.
In total, fifteen volunteer members of the team took part in the large-scale search for the two men who were lost, and subsequently air-lifted off Lugnaquilla this evening. SEMRA Team Leader, Michael Power, said he was proud of the commitment and dedication of the members of the team. When the pagers went off last night ten members were on their way to help in the first hour, and another five followed with team vehicles this morning. Working in some of the worst conditions ever seen on Irish mountains, mountain rescue volunteers from all over Ireland, North and South, along with two teams from Wales, managed to locate and evacuate the men to a location where they could be air-lifted to safety. Well done to all who helped over the last two days, not least for exemplifying the qualities we should value in the times ahead.
The 2009 Irish Mountain Rescue Conference & AGM took place in the Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, County Down, hosted by the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.
The SEMRA delegation is pictured here with distinguished guests. From left: Jimmy Barry, PRO SEMRA; Garry Farrell, Honorary Secretary, SEMRA; Deputy Mayor of Newry and Mourne City Council, Councillor Isaac Hanna; Donal McNamara, IMRA Development Officer; Liam McCabe, Chairman IMRA; Pat Holland, SEMRA; Deputy Chairman of Down District Council, Councillor William Dick; Mary Mullins, Honorary Secretary, IMRA; Mike Power, Chairman, SEMRA.
Two people were rescued from the Galtee Mountains in Tipperary on January 1st. The man and woman had contacted the Mountain Rescue team when they become lost at the top of the mountains in thick fog and in very cold conditions. The rescue team set up a search base at the top of the Black Road on the Cork side of the mountains and advised the couple to stay where they were because of fading light. In a five-hour operation, involving twenty mountain rescue volunteers and a search dog team, the couple were found safe and well, but cold. They were given hot drinks and food before being escorted back to their car. This was the second incident to which the team responded on the day. Earlier, a family had contacted the team when they became lost in fog on the top of Slievenamon in Co Tipperary. As the team responded, the fog lifted and the family were able to make their own way off the mountain.