Kerry Mountain Rescue Team was tasked to help a walker who fell on Carrauntoohil yesterday.
It was the 16th callout this month for the team, who’s raised concerns about the number of people taking to the mountains unprepared and ill-equipped.
This includes families with young children attempting to climb Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain, without appropriate gear.
Kerry Mountain Rescue Team received a call at 2.45pm yesterday about a man in his 40s who had sustained injuries in a fall near the top of the Devil’s Ladder on Carrauntoohil.
Members of the team were tasked to the scene and treated the casualty, before lowering him by stretcher down the mountain, where he was airlifted to University Hospital Kerry.
A total of 24 Kerry Mountain Rescue Team members were involved in the rescue, which finished at 8 o’clock last night.
This rescue was the 16th by the team so far this month, and follows nine callouts in June, and 11 in July, the majority of which were in the Carrauntoohil area of the McGillycuddy’s Reeks.
Of the callouts this month, there have been 11 injuries and five lost parties.
Kerry Mountain Rescue Team says while a number of incidents this summer were accidents by experienced hillgoers, the vast majority involved people unprepared and ill-equipped for their mountain activity.
This includes people with inappropriate footwear suffering slips and falls, groups starting too late and not taking account of the weather, and parties with no knowledge of the area subsequently getting lost.
Kerry Mountain Rescue Team is also concerned that in recent weeks there have been a number of families with young children attempting to climb Carrauntoohil without appropriate footwear, clothing, or equipment.
The team says given the number and nature of the incidents, the potential for more serious injuries or fatalities is greatly increased.
It adds the volume of callouts is putting huge pressure on the volunteers.
The team would urge people to take more personal responsibility and ask themselves the following questions before venturing out into the mountains:
- Are they fit, competent and experienced?
- Are members of their group similarly fit, competent and experienced?
- Do they know the area and can they navigate effectively in all weather? (Note there are no waymarked trails on Carrauntoohil)
- Are they appropriately equipped? (Good boots, appropriate clothing for the mountain, raingear, spare clothing, food, water, map & compass and ability to use same, fully charged mobile phone, first aid kit, bivvy bag/shelter etc.)
- Have they checked the weather forecast?
- Do they have a route plan and have they notified someone on the ground of their intended route, start time and expected return time?
The team says anyone in difficulty on the mountains shouldn’t hesitate in calling 999 or 112 and asking for mountain rescue.
