Kerry Mountain Rescue experienced an increase of more than 135% in call outs this year.
In total during 2020, the team responded to 28 call outs.
That’s up 38 this year; up to mid-December the Kerry Mountain Rescue team had responded to 66 incidents.
Over the course of this year the team, which is made up of 35 members along with reserve members, undertook search, rescue and recovery operations and offered medical assistance on the county’s mountains.
Kerry Mountain Rescue PRO, Colm Burke says 2021 was a much busier one, with more people out on the county’s mountains post-lockdown.
The summer was very busy, particularly during the heatwave and they attended twenty call-outs over a twenty-day period in August.
There was just one fatality on Kerry mountains during 2021.
PRO Colm Burke explains the type of calls they respond to:
Mr Burke says anyone that needs help from the team can contact 999 or 112 and ask for mountain rescue; he says they are there 24/7 to help.
