Student rescued from mountain

Student rescued from mountain

25 July 2018

AN Annacloy woman has thanked the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team which went to her assistance last Sunday afternoon.

Josephine Ó Hír, an undergraduate at Queen’s University, sustained a lower leg injury while descending Slieve Donard.

She was stabilised by members of the team before being moved by stretcher to an area where the Irish Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 936 from Holyhead, was able to land and transport her to hospital.

Nineteen members of the mountain rescue team responded to the call for assistance and were stood down just over four hours after the alert had been raised.

Praising the rescue team on social media, Josephine thanked the volunteers for coming to her rescue.

“I received out of this world support from these guys, who took on the gruelling task of carrying me down Donard after I fell and hurt my foot and ankle,” she said.

“These guys are volunteers and were called from enjoying their Sunday afternoon to help me and gave me tremendous emotional support and assistance. Daily, these men have to abandon what they are doing to selflessly help others.”

Josephine added: “They really do deserve far more recognition and support for what they do. They really are the true definition of heroes.”

On Saturday evening the mountain rescue team volunteers went to the aid of a 12 year-old girl who sustained a lower leg injury while walking with family and friends on Slieve Donard.

The child had managed to descend part of the way, with assistance from friends, but reached a point where she was unable to continue. 

Members of the rescue team stabilised the young girl before she was evacuated by the rescue team for onward transfer to hospital.