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Incident No: 64 2017

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.

#NNPMRTincidents2017

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Incident No: 21 2017

Date: 17 June 2017
Time: 18.14hrs
Location: Pennine Way, near Windy Gyle

On Saturday early evening, Border Search & Rescue Unit alerted the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team to an incident on the Pennine Way.

A group of 10 walkers had set off earlier in the day from near to Wooler to cover a route of over 20 miles as part of a fundraising effort for charity. The group had split in two during the day and two walkers in one group of five were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion.

As the walkers were technically in our operational area and given the nature of their condition, our Incident Officer agreed with Border Search & Rescue Unit that they would deploy members from the north to the Border ridge. The two walkers and the other three in the group were eventually reunited at Cocklawfoot where the Scottish Ambulance Service assessed the two casualties.

Our Incident Officer provided remote support to the incident and liaised with Northumbria Police to determine whether the other five walkers had safely made it off the hill. A hasty team also stood by in case additional support was required.

All members of the group were confirmed to be safely off the hill at 22.27hrs.

#Teamwork

The incident involved 4 Team members for 2 hours 13 minutes.

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Mountain Rescue

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Incident No: 10 2017

Date: 2 March 2017
Time: 18.45hrs
Location: Border Ridge

At 18.30hrs yesterday Police Scotland requested the assistance of Border Search & Rescue Unit to locate two Danish walkers on the Border Ridge. The walkers were believed to be between Auchope Cairn and Windy Gyle.

The teams south of the border – North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves – were alerted by BSARU. One of our controller group sent a SARLOC message to the walkers. Thankfully this time it worked – the poor mobile reception in the area affects whether the system works.

Armed with the exact location it was agreed to despatch a group from the north side of the border to locate and evacuate the walkers. The walkers were swiftly located and walked off the hill to a waiting ATV. They were cold, but otherwise no worse for their ordeal.

As you’ll see from the SARLOC fix below the walkers weren’t too far away from the location of the 10 walkers involved in Incident No.8.

#CrossBorderResponse
#Teamwork

The incident involved 4 Team members for 2 hours 30 minutes.

#NNPMRTincidents

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Incident No: 08 2017

Date: 12 February 2017
Time:15.02hrs
Location: Windy Gyle

The Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team were activated by Northumbria Police yesterday afternoon. Initial reports indicated that 10 walkers and 2 dogs were stranded on Windy Gyle and two of the group were suffering from hypothermia.

Local Team members were deployed immediately to head up onto Windy Gyle. Additional members and resources from were also deployed along with a request for support from north of the Border. Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team and Border Search & Rescue Unit duly responded.

As members were nearing summit of Windy Gyle, further information suggested the walkers had headed east to try to locate some shelter. After 3.5 hours in challenging winter conditions the group of walkers were located. Team members had to wade through three to four foot snow drifts, sometimes even crawl, to reach the walkers’ location.

All the walkers were suffering from the effects of cold, with three requiring more urgent treatment and evacuation. A Doctor from TVMRT and a North East Ambulance Service Paramedic (and MR Team member) assessed all of the walkers. A Coastguard helicopter was requested and Rescue 999 from Prestwick made a valiant effort almost reaching the walkers’ location. Cloud on the tops and drifting snow, however, prevented further progress.

The back up plan was for the farmer from Rowhope in his tracked vehicle to transport the casualties requiring immediate evacuation down to the valley and for the remaining members of the group to be walked off by MR members. The plan was duly put into practice.

The walkers and Team members were all safely off the hill by 00.11hrs, Monday morning. A number were taken direct to hospital after a further assessment by the North East Ambulance Service and we hope they make a swift recovery from their ordeal.

Our Team Leader, Iain Nixon, said “I would thank all the agencies involved and in particular praise the efforts of the farmer from Rowhope, without whose assistance the rescue would have taken much longer. The collective efforts of all involved ensured a successful outcome.”

Tweed Valley MRT were also assisted by the farmer from Cocklawfoot with another ATV.

The incident involved 64 Mountain Rescue Team members from both sides of the Border for 10 hours 20 minutes.

#NNPMRTincidents
#Teamwork
#MREW

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Casualty site on the NW corner of Hazely Law wood
Trackers of hill parties approaching from the South and North
Trackers of hill parties approaching from the South and North
Loading the first casualties in the ATV
Loading the first casualties in the ATV
Last Team members and kit making their way off the hill
Last Team members and kit making their way off the hill

 

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*** Incidents No.47, 48 & 49***

Saturday 3 September 2016, 13.00hrs

August was a very busy month and now September is off to a flier too!

On Saturday whilst the Team was covering the Cheviots Challenge, we dealt with three separate incidents in the hills to the north and north west of Alwinton.

A female in her early 50s was suffering from severe chest pains, causing her to collapse in one of the most exposed sections of the Pennine Way, west of Windy Gyle. Two Team members were on scene within minutes and further assistance arrived shortly after. One of the Doctors in the Team worked alongside two of our other medics to stabilise the casualty, before handing over to the Great North Air Ambulance Service for a short flight to a crewed Ambulance in the Coquet valley.

Whilst this incident was ongoing, Team members were also dealing with a second female who had sustained an ankle injury and was unable to continue. Both casualties were taken to hospital in the same Ambulance.

The third incident came late in the day when a group of nine walkers became lost and were overtaken by darkness. Once again SARLOC – a location App – proved its worth. A text was sent to one of the walker’s mobile phones which enabled us to pinpoint their location. The walkers had turned 90 degrees off their intended route and ended up in unfamiliar ground 2km from their last known point, Shillmoor. They had walked an extra 5km from Shillmoor and had almost gone in a full circle!

The walkers were evacuated in our Team vehicles to Alwinton where they were checked out by a Doctor and a medic from the Team before being allowed to head home.

All in a long day’s work!

The incidents involved Team 25 members over a period of 8 hours.

#NNPMRTincidents

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incident46_47_49b_2016

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The 35th Cheviots Challenge

The 35th Cheviots Challenge is fast approaching and will take place next weekend – Saturday 3 September. This fantastic event will get you high in the hills of the Northumberland National Park with the Team close by in strategic locations along the route to keep you safe.

This single event raises around 15% of the annual operating cost of the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team so you’ll get that warm and fuzzy feeling inside too!

There is a choice of route:

Terry Lynn long route is about 23 miles and over 3500 feet of climbing and will include Clennell Street, Windy Gyle, Swinside Law, Battleshiel Haugh.

Eileen Lynn short route is about 18 miles and over 2500 feet of climbing and will include Clennell Street, Barrow Law, Battleshiel Haugh.

Both routes will take you through and over the beautiful Upper Coquetdale and Cheviot Hills. On the day of the event you will receive a route card and a photocopy map giving details of the route.

Online sign up is via https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=2562

The Cheviots Challenge

The Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team Land Rover Curlew Delta
The Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team Land Rover Curlew Delta
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*** Incident No.28 ***

Wednesday 15 June, 22.50hrs

Two short lived incidents in a day! The Team along with North of Tyne MRT was contacted by Northumbria Police at 22.50hrs for an overdue walker in the College Valley.

The owner of the Mounthooly Bunkhouse had contacted the Police after a walker failed to turn up. The walker in his 60s had left, late morning, to walk along the Border Ridge to Windy Gyle and back. After it baca me dark the owner of the bunkhouse, quite rightly, became increasingly concerned for the lone walker’s wellbeing.

As one of our Incident Controllers was speaking to the Police, the walker arrived back at the bunkhouse – safe, tired and rather late for his dinner!

All done and dusted very quickly and without anyone needing to leave home! We like these sort of incidents.

The incident involved two Team members for 15 minutes.

‪#‎NNPMRTincidents‬

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*** Incident No.19 ***

Monday 2 May, 14.05hrs

Right place, right time. On the Bank Holiday Monday one of our Team members happened across a group of nine walkers and two dogs on the Salter’s Road at the eastern edge of the Uswayford Forest. This is one of the more remote parts of our beautiful National Park.

The walkers stopped our Team member and asked for directions. It turns out that the group of walkers were intending to climb Windy Gyle having set off from Barrowburn. They were now a good 6km off course and were heading towards the Breamish valley!

Given the time a decision was taken by the Team member to shuttle the group back down the Usway valley to the track heading south to Barrowburn over Middle Hill. Thankfully his 4×4 was close at hand and meant for a swift transportation of the group.

The group then walked back the last few kilometres to Barrowburn having never made the summit of Windy Gyle. Our Team member waited at Barrowburn to see the group coming safely down the hill before heading home.

The actions of our Team member certainly avoided a search for the full Team later in the day.

The incident involved one Team member for 1hr 55mins.

‪#‎NNPMRTincidents‬

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Prospective Trainees Training

Five prospective trainees have been put through their paces today. Given the clear conditions we focused on micro navigation using a map, compass and techniques such as aiming off, timing/pacing and re-section and triangulation, amongst others. A great day with all five progressing to become trainees. Well done!

Now the hard work starts with a minimum of a 12 month structured training programme.

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