Date: 12 December 2017
Time: 15.39hrs
Locations: Ravens Heugh, Simonside
A group of nine, well equipped walkers requested the assistance of #MountainRescue yesterday afternoon when one of their party, a female in her early 70s sustained an ankle injury. The group at the time of reporting the incident to Northumbria Police was near Ravens Heugh.
North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves swiftly deployed a hasty team from the Rothbury area in a 4×4 vehicle. As we deployed, the group continued with their ‘self rescue’ making progress towards Simonside. The group was met by our hasty team just as they reached a drive-able track.
The injured walker was assessed by one of our Medics before being warmed and then evacuated in the 4×4 vehicle. The other members of the party were also transported off the hill with the assistance of the Police.
We’d also like to thank the Rothbury Practice as one of their Doctors checked over the injured walker once she’d been safely evacuated from the hill.
Date: 10 December
Time: 11.58hrs
Location: Auchope Cairn, College Valley
The third incident this week led to the Team being deployed to the College Valley. A relative of a walker reported that they had been tracking the walker’s phone and indicated that the ‘phone ping’ had remained in the same location for 24 hours. She was clearly concerned for the walker’s wellbeing and contact was duly made with the Police.
Northumbria Police activated North of Tyne MRT and ourselves just before midday on Sunday. As we went to standby and the National Police Air Support service attended, a hasty party of local Team members was despatched to the College valley. Two vehicles were also despatched in support.
Soon after it was decided to call out the full team as we were uncertain NPAS could reach the location of the ‘phone ping’ due to cloud lying over The Cheviot. The Teams were to RV in Wooler to give us the option of deploying search groups from Wooler Common, Harthope valley and College valley.
Border Search & Rescue Unit were also placed on standby.
Unfortunately (or fortunately!) not long after the callout message it became apparent that our missing walker had more than likely spent the night at the Mounthooly bunkhouse and had left in the morning, fit and well. Once this information was confirmed, the majority of Team members were stood down.
The hasty party was requested by the Police to conduct a limited search in and around the location of the ‘phone ping’, which by now had been confirmed as being on the northerly slope of Auchope Cairn, just below the summit. After a hasty search of the lower to mid section of the Hen Hole and the route from Auchope shelter to Auchope Cairn had been conducted, with nothing found, the hasty party headed back to our Land Rover in the valley. Soon after it was confirmed that the walker had returned to Mounthooly having walked to Windy Gyle and back, totally oblivious about what had been going on.
A well meaning incident. Thankfully nobody was at risk and the walker was accounted for at the end of the day.
We’d like to thank, once again, the College Valley Estate for their assistance.
The incident involved 8 Team members for 6 hours 30 minutes. Another 16 members were en-route to Wooler when they were stood down.
Date: 5 December 2017
Time: 17.02hrs
Location: Hamsterley Forest, County Durham
Late afternoon on Tuesday our Search Dog handler was placed on standby to assist Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team (TWSMRT) in locating a missing 15 year old male with autism. The young male had disappeared whilst on a school trip to Hamsterley Forest.
As the search was scaled up, our Search Dog handler was deployed to work alongside other handlers from the North East, TWSMRT, Cleveland MRT and Swaledale MRT. The HM Coastguard helicopter from Humberside was also involved by this stage.
We were then called alongside North of Tyne MRT at 22.32hrs to assist with the search from 08.30hrs the following day should the incident continue overnight. Thankfully as availability responses were being gathered by our Duty Controller, the good news came through that the young male had been located by Forestry Commission workers who had been driving the forest tracks.
Date: 5 December 2017
Time: 01.44 hrs
Location: Sunderland
In the early hours of yesterday morning, our Duty Controller responded on behalf of North of Tyne MRT and ourselves to a request for support from Northumbria Police. The Police required assistance in locating a high risk, vulnerable male in the Sunderland area.
Whilst the missing person did not respond to the SARLOC location App message, they were located by 05.00hrs.
The incident involved 1 Team member for 3 hours 18 minutes.
The Force Operations Manager for Northumbria Police activated the joint controller group for North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves late on Friday night. Our assistance was required in locating a medium risk vulnerable female.
SARLOC, the location App, was used but unfortunately the missing person did not respond to the text message. Police enquiries are ongoing.
The incident involved two Team members for 11 hours 30 hours.
Date: 30 November 2017
Time: 22.15hrs
Location: A69, near Corbridge
After the Simon Yates presentation in Hexham on Thursday night, one of our Team Landrovers assisted at a RTC on the east bound carriageway on the A69. A Vauxhall Corsa and its occupants had had an altercation with the central reservation and ended up stationary across two lanes of the road. The four occupants were also on the carriageway.
Our Team member and one of our Support Group members assisted at the scene. The Team Landrover with blue lights was used to close off the road and the occupants of the Corsa were checked over and asked to remain behind the crash barrier. Northumbria Police were alerted on the Airwave radio.
Once the Police arrived on scene, the Vauxhall Corsa was moved off the carriageway and the Team’s Landrover and members were released to go. Thankfully nobody was injured.
The incident involved 2 Team members for 40 minutes.
Date: 25 November 2017
Time: 13.07hrs
Location: West Spital Shield Farm
On Saturday afternoon the North East Ambulance Service requested our support in evacuating a teenager who had fallen off her horse near West Spital Shield Farm on Spitalshield Moor. The ambulance crew due to the remote location and icy conditions on the moors were unable to access the casualty.
At the point we were called, the Great North Air Ambulance Service was already enroute. We and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team agreed to remain on standby whilst it was determined whether the air support could access the casualty’s location. Thankfully this was the case and the young female was swiftly transported to hospital and the Team’s stood down.
The incident involved two Team members for 32 minutes.
Date: 18 November 2017
Time: 15.06hrs
Location: Upper Harthope valley
Mid-afternoon on Saturday a female walker in her early 60s slipped and sustained an injury to her ankle. She had fallen on steep ground, half a kilometre upstream of Harthope Linn. Her companion had to leave her location to raise the alarm due to poor mobile service.
Northumbria Police alerted North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves, and a callout was swiftly initiated. Local Team members were on scene with the casualty at the remote location in just over an hour.
Our Medic was joined by a North East Ambulance Service Paramedic, both of whom administered pain relief to the casualty. Other Team members ferried kit from our vehicles at Langleeford Hope in case a stretcher carry was required.
Due to casualty’s condition and the location, our Incident Officer requested a Coastguard helicopter. The Team would like to thank the Coastguard helicopter Rescue 199 from Prestwick for their skilful flying and enabling a swifter evacuation of the casualty to hospital in Melrose.
We would also like to pay tribute to the walkers who kept our casualty company whilst we were en-route.
All being well our casualty will make a full and swift recovery. We would like to wish her well.
The incident involved 20 Team members for 5 hours 40 minutes.
Date: 16 October 2017
Time: 09.48hrs
Location: Whittingham
On Monday morning North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves deployed to assist Northumbria Police in the ongoing search for Damion Willcock from Whittingham. Damion was last seen by his family at 10.00am on Sunday.
In conjunction with the Police Search Adviser, our Incident Officer devised a search plan which was implemented and reviewed over the two days of the search. Working alongside Northumbria Police officers, a body was sadly located on day two of the search, in one of the prioritised wooded areas.
Our thoughts are with Damion’s family and friends at this very difficult time.
The incident involved 20 Team members and two search dogs for 9 hours and 45 minutes on day one, and 19 members and one search dog on day two for 7 hours.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok