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.