South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association Blog

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?