South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association Blog

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is now recruiting new mountain rescue team members to commence training in September 2013.

The team is looking for hill walkers and climbers who have good mountaineering and team working skills and a good knowledge of the mountains of the South East. A significant time commitment can be expected to be involved in training and callouts.

If you have the skills and the commitment to volunteer as a mountain rescue team member, email info@semra.ie to receive an application form. For further information about the team, check out www.semra.ie

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is an emergency  24/ 7/ 365 , voluntary Search and Rescue team covering all the Mountains of the South East of Ireland.

South Eastern Mountain Rescue had a busy weekend. On Saturday afternoon January 26th 2013 at approx 3pm the team responded to a call from 999 informing them that a lady had fallen in the Western end of the Galty Mountains. A full team call out ensued. Many team members were in Doolin County Clare attending the Annual General Meeting of Mountain Rescue Ireland. Assistance was sought from Tramore Rescue Team who also responded to the call with SEMRA members. Upon arrival a party was deployed onto the hill. Once located the casualty was assessed by the team medics. Having suffered a lower leg injury the lady was transferred from the hill to a waiting HSE Ambulance. Conditions were very wet underfoot on the day.

On Sunday morning January 27th at 10.51am another call came alerting the team of a male walker who sustained a suspected lower leg injury on Slievenamon. SEMRA were tasked by Clonmel Gardai. Again a full team call out was put in place and members made their way to Slievenamon. Once located the casualty was assessed. SEMRA sought assistance from MRCC ( Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre ) and Rescue 117 was deployed to the scene to assist SEMRA. The casualty was airlifted from the hill to Waterford Regional Hospital where further treatment was carried out.

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is an emergency 24/ 7/365 , voluntary Search and Rescue team covering all the Mountains of the South East of Ireland and is funded mainly by donation and public generosity.

Should you require any further information on this please contact:

Annie Ryan
PRO South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association
Tel: 086 1905726

Just before 1pm on Saturday 19th January 2013 South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) responded to a callout from Emergency Services regarding a group of injured walkers in The Comeragh Mountains. The walkers had been attempting to climb a gully in the vicinity of Coumshingaun Lake when they got into difficulty. Following a week of wet weather and torrential rain the night before the incident took place, three of the four climbers slipped and fell from a height of c 30 -50 metres. They immediately contacted Emergency Services and South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association members rapidly made their way to the site of the incident.

An Incident Base was established in Kilcloony Woods which lies in the direction of the Lemybrien - Carrick on Suir road. The injured walkers were assessed by SEMRA paramedics and found to have upper body injuries sustained from the fall. Conditions were wet under foot and the callout occurred in heavy drizzle. The Fire Service and HSE ambulance services also attended the incident and the casualties were transported to Waterford Regional Hospital for medical assistance.

SEMRA received an emergency call later the same afternoon regarding walkers in The Galtees who also found themselves in difficulty.

Team Leader Ray Bradfield commented " In this wet winter weather it's not surprising for us to experience a surge in callouts. We appeal to walkers to exercise extreme caution when considering taking to the hills at this time of the year . Always check a reliable weather forecast particular to the area, bring plenty food and a hot drink, wear correct walking attire to include hillwalking boots and bring extra layers of clothes and waterproofs.The mountains have a unique microclimate and the weather there can change with alarming speed. Should any walkers need our assistance on the mountains, please call 999 or 112 and ask for Mountain Rescue."

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is an emergency 24/ 7/ 365 , voluntary Search and Rescue team covering all the Mountains of the South East of Ireland and is funded mainly by donation and public generosity.

Should you require any further information on this please contact:

Deirdre Phelan    
PRO South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association
Telephone: 086 2349318

On Saturday 29th September at 8pm South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) received a call from Cahir Garda Station alerting them to a lost walker in The Knockmealdowns. Following communication between the SEMRA Search Leader and the lost walker, it was established that the missing individual had become disorientated while making his way from the high point at Knockshanahullion to a lower elevation. The individual was a solo walker , a local man in his thirties and had  spent quite some time trying to relocate . As the natural light faded, he called 112 Emergency Services and requested the help of Mountain Rescue.

A full team callout ensued and SEMRA members and team vehicles made their way to Baylough car park in The Knockmealdowns where base was established. Weather conditions were very cold and windy, with earlier mist clearing to allow mainly good night visibility. The South Eastern Mountain Rescue Search Leader was in contact by mobile phone with the lost man at all times. Combining the local knowledge of the team and information from the lost individual , an area of high probability of the location of the lost walker was agreed.  Four Mountain Rescue search parties together with two search dogs from the Search and Rescue Dog Association were dispatched onto the hill and saturated the area.

The lost man was located at approx 2 am and found to be very cold but not hypthermic. In good condition and greatly relieved to be found, the walker returned to base with SEMRA members.

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is an emergency  24/ 7/ 365 ,  voluntary Search and Rescue team covering all the Mountains of the South East of Ireland and is funded mainly by donation and public generosity.

Should you require any further information on this please contact:
-
Deirdre Phelan                                                
PRO South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association
T: 086 2349318

'Spellga Dam' in Mourne Mountains  and 'Dwyers Rock' in Wicklow Mountains

Download: Brochure (.pdf file)

Mountain Rescue Ireland (the organisation which oversees the twelve Mountain Rescue teams in Ireland) is holding two fundraising abseils on Saturday 28th July, 2012.

One is at Spelga Dam in the Mourne Mountains, County Down and the other is at Dwyer's Rock in County Wicklow. This is the first time that MRI has gone down the abseil route in fundraising terms, and we are very fortunate to have secured the first ever access for public abseil down the iconic Spelga Dam and the Wicklow abseil is from Dwyer's Rock, where the panoramic views are simply stunning!

If you're in tune with the great outdoors and enjoy your fresh air laced with good sized bursts of adrenalin, then look no further than the Mountain Rescue Ireland 2012 Abseil Events!

 Saturday 28th July is your chance to become an MRI 'Dambuster' or 'RockStar'...and raise money for an organisation that one day might save your life!


Get family and friends to sponsor you for an experience that will rock your world. Whether you already like to swing at the weekends, or are contemplating your first ever vicarious vault into the void, don't hang about - places are strictly limited!

It's great doing it in groups, and age is no barrier!

Registration
Registration is online at www.eventelephant.com/dambusters for the Mournes Abseil and www.eventelephant.com/rockstars personal fundraising pages can be set up at www.mycharity.ie/charity/mountain_rescue_ireland

Contact Details
Abseils will take place from 9am 'til 5pm on Saturday 28th July, and those taking part will be notified in advance of their time slot. For more information, contact Mountain Rescue Ireland Fundraising Officer Sharon Power - Tel (087) 2590290 or (085) 722 8164 or email fundraising@mountainrescue.ie

At approximately 8.30pm this evening South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association responded to a callout from HSE Ambulance Control regarding an injured walker in The Comeragh Mountains. The casualty was in the area of Kilcloony Woods which lies in the direction of the Lemybrien - Carrick on suir road. 20 Mountain Rescue members attended the callout, where the injured party was attended to and prepared for evacuation. 9 members of Tramore Cliff and Mountain Rescue were also on standby. Conditions were wet under foot  and the callout occurred in heavy drizzle and fading light.  The Coastguard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford  attended and transported the casualty to Waterford Regional Hospital for medical assistance.

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is an emergency  24/ 7/ 365 ,  voluntary Search and Rescue team covering all the Mountains of the South East of Ireland and is funded mainly by donation and public generosity.

At approx 4pm Saturday 5th May 2012 South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) received a request from Gardai in Waterford to attend an incident in The Comeragh Mountains. A group of 15 were hillwalking in the area of Knockanaffrin Ridge in the Comeraghs, when a female member of the group fell and sustained a lower leg injury. The group dialled 999 and asked for Mountain Rescue.

A full team call out ensued and SEMRA members rapidly made their way to the casualty site. SEMRA requested the assistance of Rescue 117 search and rescue helicopter from Waterford. The weather was clear with significant wind speed - ideal conditions for the use of a helicopter. The winchman and team of Rescue 117 transported the casualty to Waterford Regional Hospital for further treatment.

According to Ray Bradfield Team Leader "We enjoy an excellent, long standing relationship with members of The Coastguard and only recently attended a heli-school day with the crew of Rescue 117 for our newer mountain rescue members. This included winching our members on and off the search and rescue helicopter and  preparation of a casualty, similar to the actual incident that occurred  in The Comeraghs last weekend. We keep our training as close to real life callouts  as possible so we can ensure the most efficient and professional treatment and delivery of an injured party."