Irish Mountain Log - Mountaineering Ireland

The upper medical post on Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday 2007.
PHOTO: IRISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE ASSOCIATION
COMPETITION
Artwork & Slogan
Are you full of bright ideas? Want to see one
of your ideas in the national media? Are you
willing to do it to make a difference and
support a charity?
The Irish Mountain Rescue Association
(IMRA) is the representative body of the
twelve mountain rescue teams spread across
Ireland (two in Northern Ireland, ten in the
Republic).The teams consist of over 350 men
and women and provide a completely
voluntary 24-hour mountain rescue service
all year round to people who get lost or
injured while walking or climbing in Irish
mountain ranges.
In 2008, IMRA will be starting a three-year
fundraising campaign to raise awareness of
Mountain Rescue and to raise urgently
needed funds to support its teams and,
ultimately, the casualties on the mountain.
We’re running a competition (closing date
31st Octber) to find the best slogan and
artwork to support this initiative. Details and
conditions of the competition can be
obtained from the Competition page of our
website: www.mountainrescue.ie.
Mountain Rescue Ireland
Irish Mountain Rescue Association
Cumann Tarrthála Sléibhte na h-Éireann
Sport HQ, 13 Joyce Way, Park West Business
Park, Dublin 12 (Tel: +353 23 59822)
News
IMRA call-out statistics 2006
The Irish Mountain Rescue Association (IMRA)
represents the twelve Irish Mountain Rescue
Teams, including two based in Northern Ireland,
which provide a voluntary 24/7 mountain search
and rescue service.
In 2006, IMRA’s member teams responded to
229 separate incidents, assisting 350 people in
distress on Irish hills. 130 of these people had
sustained an injury, sadly including 10 fatalities.
The incidents dealt with included searches (51%),
rescues (43%) and requests for standby/assistance
for organised events (6%).
A total of 8,375 hours, the equivalent of 1,047
working days, were voluntarily invested in these
mountain rescue activities by the Mountain Rescue
Teams’ members and this does not include the
time they spent training, which generally exceeds
the time on active duty.
The table alongside shows the number of
incidents each Mountain Rescue Team was
involved in, allowing for incidents where more
than one team was involved.
Summer and autumn were again the busiest
seasons, quite understandably as generally more
people engage in outdoor activities in these
months. Sundays were the busiest days, followed
by Saturdays, with the weekends accounting for
more than half of the incidents. As usual, where
injuries had occurred, they were again
predominantly lower limb injuries, with medical
problems being the next most frequent category
dealt with.
The teams conducted 36 stretcher
evacuations ranging in distance from 0.3km to
6km, the average being 2.4km. Evacuation by
helicopter took place in 34 cases.
When reviewing statistics like these, it is
important to be able to learn from them and to use
them to encourage safety and responsibility on the
hills in the future. Mountains present challenges
for the prepared and the experienced; the
unprepared or inexperienced are more vulnerable
to these challenges and should not allow their
ambition to exceed their ability. Conditions can
rapidly worsen; a simple slip can render a hillwalker
immobile. If a casualty is an hour or two
from the nearest road, a twisted ankle can lead to
hypothermia and possibly death.
• Gerry Christie, PRO, IMRA
Team Involvement in Incidents
Team Number
Donegal 17
Dublin & Wicklow 50
Galway 8
Glen of Imaal 37
Kerry 20
Mayo 29
Mournes 17
North West 29
SARDA 15
Sligo/Leitrim 11
South East 16
Tramore Sea & Cliff 13
Total 262
Autumn 2007 Irish Mountain Log 17