Garrote threat to riders in Tollymore Forest Park

Garrote threat to riders in Tollymore Forest Park

13 June 2012

A VETERINARY surgeon has escaped serious injury after narrowly avoiding a throat high wire strung across a path at Tollymore Forest Park.

Mr. Terry Smith was riding a horse through the forest close to the Bryansford Road last week when the attempted garrotting incident occurred.

The Rathfriland-based vet ducked to avoid a low branch at which point he felt something catch his left shoulder. He then spotted the wire which had been attached to two hooks on trees either side of the path and was clearly designed to cause serious injury.

Mr. Smith said it was “purely by chance” he avoided the wire and said had he not ducked when he did, the wire would have caught him just under his chin.

The rider immediately cut the wire and reported the incident to Forest Service staff. However, it has since emerged the Forest Service has not reported the incident to the PSNI.

Mr. Smith has appealed to people using the forest to be careful and is in no doubt that whoever strung the wire between two trees was targeting people riding horses. It was about eight feet off the ground.

“I had a close call and the low branch I came across certainly saved me as it made me bend over. Given the height of the wire, I believe whoever placed it there was out to catch someone riding along on a horse,” he continued.

“Placing a wire across a pathway is a really nasty, low down thing to do. But it is very difficult to point the finger at who may be responsible for such a thing. Who knows why someone would do something like this.”

Mr. Smith said the incident, which occurred close to the top car park at Tollymore, is the same area where a year ago he came across a fox in distress.

“I initially thought the animal may have been struck by a car but when I examined the fox I could see it was suffering from central nervous system problems. I suspected it had been poisoned with strychnine,” he continued. He took the fox home but it later died.

Mr. Smith added: “I don’t know if there is a link between both incidents, but maybe there’s something in the fact that they occurred in and around the same area close to the car park. Placing a wire across a forest path which could cause serious injury is a really sick thing to do.”

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said the Forest Service takes its health and safety responsibilities very seriously.

She continued: “We conduct full investigations on any threats to the safety of our visitors and in doing so we would ask for the co-operation of those with relevant information to make this known to us.

“We are aware that an alleged wire hazard was removed from Tollymore forest by a member of the public. But at this time we have not been given enough information to allow our investigation to be completed.”

In a second statement issued yesterday afternoon, the spokeswoman confirmed to the Recorder that the Department of Agriculture had now reported the “alleged incident” at Tollymore to police.

A PSNI spokesman confirmed police have not been made aware of the recent incident at Tollymore Forest Park.