Date: 23 March 2019
Time: 10.42hrs
Location: Winlaton
Last Saturday morning Northumbria Police requested Mountain Rescue’s support in locating a high risk, missing female in her 70s. The female was last seen in the Winlaton area.
The Duty Controller acting on behalf of North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and ourselves liaised with the Police Search Adviser to discuss and agree a plan, whilst drivers were allocated to vehicles and search dog handlers readied for deployed. The two MRTs were also placed on standby should the search escalate.
Thankfully following Police enquiries the female was located on public transport, safe and well. A good outcome for all concerned.
Yesterday afternoon saw ourselves and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team involved in a dramatic and challenging multi-agency incident for a crashed glider. The pilot and glider had crashed high on the south east side of The Cheviot. After receiving the initial activation from Northumbria Police, the Teams were immediately called out and a hasty team of two members were deployed onto the hill within 40 minutes to try locate the crashed glider as soon as possible. Progress was hampered by snow storms and the low cloud base, which meant the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) was unable to land near to the crash site.
Further Team members with a rescue equipment, the medical team from GNAAS and Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service personnel with lightweight cutting equipment were then airlifted by the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick to Scald Hill. From there they had to make progress on foot to the crash site. By this time the Mountain Rescue hasty team had located the crashed glider. After which further hill parties were deployed with technical rope rescue kit to assist with lowering the stretcher to below the cloud base.
A 400m stretcher lower in darkness down the side of The Cheviot then followed to a location below the cloud base. Thankfully the Coastguard helicopter was able to land on and the glider pilot was transferred into the helicopter for a short flight to hospital.
The Teams would like to pay particular thanks to the two walkers who went to the aid of the pilot and remained with him until Mountain Rescue personnel arrived on scene. They did an exceptional job of keeping the pilot calm and provided him with additional clothing. We would also like to thank the game keeper who transported two Team members up onto the hill on his quad bike.
We hope the glider pilot makes a full and swift recovery from his ordeal.
Date: 2 October 2017
Time: 20.24hrs
Location: Hexham area
Earlier in the week members of our joint controller group with North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team responded to a request for support from Northumbria Police to help locate a vulnerable female. SARLOC – the text based location App – was used but unfortunately the female did not respond to the text. The female was, however, located shortly afterwards by Police Officers in a field close to her home address.
The incident involved 4 members for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Date: 21 May 2017
Time: 17.56hrs
Location: Great Wanney Crag, near Kirkwhelpington
Just as many Team members were about to have their Sunday dinner, we received a callout for an injured female climber on Great Wanney Crag. The climber had fallen onto a ledge and sustained a suspected fractured ankle.
Northumbria Police requested our assistance at just before 6.00pm and along with North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team we responded immediately.
Working with the North East Ambulance Service and their HART team, the casualty was treated and her ankle immobilised before we lowered her to the foot of the crag. An awkward stretcher lower over rough, bouldery ground then followed before a 500 metre stretcher carry to the waiting Ambulance. The evacuation took just over 2 hours from arrival on scene.
Last weekend the Team was involved in a research project led by The Centre for Search Research and Newcastle University Business School. The research was designed to explore the effectiveness of searching on the ground and in the air.
Over two days our search groups and search dog, Tess, and her handler were put to the test on the ground searching routes and areas on the moors near Rothbury.
QuestUAV and Northumberland National Park Authority were involved in testing fixed wing and rotor drones to search a defined route and area, and the UK Civil Air Patrol used planes and a helicopter to search the same areas.
From an incident control perspective the research gave us a great opportunity to put some of our technology to the test in tracking search groups and accurately recording what had and hadn’t been searched. We also worked with QuestUAV to analyse the digital imagery produced from the fixed wing drone to locate the missing persons.
A highly beneficial couple of days with observers from Northumbria Police, the National Police Air Support Unit, Northumberland Fire & Rescue and the Coastguard.
Date: 8 April 2017
Time: 17.40hrs
Location: Allendale
Yesterday one of our Land Rovers and four Team members assisted North of Tyne MRT with the rescue cover for the Allendale Challenge.
Over 500 competitors enjoyed the glorious conditions throughout the day. Unfortunately one competitor collapsed within four miles of the finish and required medical attention.
Our Team members were requested to assist members of North of Tyne MRT who were already on scene.
The casualty was airlifted to hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance Service. We hope the casualty makes a full and swift recovery.
Around midday yesterday a climber fell 3 metres whilst bouldering on the crags in Hepburn Woods. The climber sustained a lower leg injury. Due to the likely location of the casualty, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) requested the assistance of the Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team.
The Teams responded immediately deploying a vehicle with specialist rescue kit for a steep slope evacuation and members within easy reach of the incident site.
The NEAS Community Paramedic and crewed Ambulance handled the casualty care, whilst the Mountain Rescues Teams determined the best evacuation routes. A challenging stretcher carry then ensured to the road where the climber was transferred into the ambulance.
Date: 12 March 2017
Time: 13.29hrs
Location: Cragside Estate, near Rothbury
The spring weather yesterday brought lots of people out into Northumberland. For one lady her day didn’t end so well, when she slipped and sustained a serious upper leg injury whilst walking in the Cragside estate.
The North East Ambulance Service requested the assistance of Mountain Rescue to evacuate the lady from a hard to reach location near to Nelly Moss Lakes. The lady received treatment from the Community Paramedic before members of the Team and some from North of Tyne MRT carried the lady on a Bell stretcher 500 metres along a slippery path to the awaiting Ambulance.
Date: 7 March 2017
Time: 14.51hrs
Location: Harthope Valley, near Wooler
Mid-afternoon yesterday the Team and North of Tyne MRT were requested by Northumbria Police to assist with the rescue of a female walker. The female had fallen and sustained a lower arm injury. The exact location was unknown but was believed to be on the footpath between Langleeford Farm and Scotsman Knowe.
The female’s husband raised the alarm having walked downstream to the nearest inhabited farmhouse at Langleeford.
Two Landrover ambulances were swiftly despatched whilst our Incident Officer travelled directly to the scene. Thankfully enroute the Teams were notified that a North East Ambulance Service Paramedic from Wooler had been able to access the female’s location just upstream of Langleeford Hope. The Paramedic was able to walk the casualty back to their vehicle and the Teams were stood down.
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