Mournes rescue of teenage schoolgirl with hypothermia

Mournes rescue of teenage schoolgirl with hypothermia

6 April 2016

ELEVEN teenagers, including a girl who was unconscious and suffering from severe hypothermia, were rescued from the Mournes on Monday night.

The school party had been on an expedition in the mountains when deteriorating weather conditions began to take effect on members of the group.

The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team was tasked at 7.15pm and quickly found the group on the western flank of the Slieve Beg/Commedagh col in the Annalong valley. Because of the numbers involved and the weather conditions the 23 members of the team who took part were accompanied by two paramedics and the rescue team doctor.

A spokesman for the rescue team said all members of the group of 11 were quickly assessed and treated accordingly. 

“Initially seven members were guided off the mountains to team vehicles and returned to teachers,” he said. “A further three were assessed and received further treatment on scene before being guided off and reunited with their friends. 

“The 11th member, whose condition was the most severe, was assessed, treated, packaged and stretchered to team vehicles for transfer to the Ambulance Service. 

“Clearly had it not been for the outstanding efforts of the young people in this group, this situation would have been much much more serious,” added the spokesman.

The rescue team stood down at 1.10am.

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has commended the work of the Mourne team after they assisted the young schoolgirl and her group near Slieve Beg on Monday night.

 “It is a relief for everyone involved that the alarm was raised quickly after the group began to experience trouble, and that the rescue team arrived to treat and assist the group,” she said. 

“The rescue team provides an invaluable service at all times and I would like to pay tribute to them and the resilience of the group in dealing with this situation. I hope that everyone involved will make a speedy recovery.”

The rescue was the second carried out by the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team in three days.

On Saturday afternoon 13 team members went to the assistance of an adult male walker who had fallen on the Newcastle side of the Slieve Donard/Commedagh col, injuring his leg.

An Ambulance Service paramedic and local police officers joined the rescue team in packaging the casualty on a stretcher before he was carried down the Glen River to Donard Forest for transfer to an ambulance.

The team requested a helicopter and the new Coastguard helicopter from Prestwick, in Scotland, was sent to the area but because of the low cloud cover was unable to take part in the rescue and returned to base. The rescue team stood down just after 4.30pm.

SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie has commended the work of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team after they assisted a young schoolgirl and her group near Slieve Beg on Monday night.

Ms Ritchie stated, “It is a relief for everyone involved that the alarm was raised quickly after the group began to experience trouble, and that the Rescue Team arrived to treat and assist the group.

The Rescue Team provides an invaluable service at all times and I would like to pay tribute to them and the resilience of the group in dealing with this situation. I hope that everyone involved will make a speedy recovery.”