At around 2:15 p.m.  call handlers from the Team were made aware of a child with a suspected broken ankle near Bryncrug.

The girl, aged 12, was part of an outdoor education group enjoying the hill track joining Bryncrug, near Tywyn, to Happy Valley. Centre staff stabilised the injury and escorted the rest of the group to safety as Team volunteers made their way to assist with the evacuation of the child. Team volunteers were able to access the scene by 4x4, and having assessed and packaged the casualty, she was driven back down the track to a waiting centre vehicle for transport to hospital.

​Everyone was down off the hill by 5:00 p.m.

​Shortly after 18:30, the Team was requested to assist Brecon Mountain Rescue Team in the Rescue of an injured mountain biker near Nant y Moch Reservoir, north east of Aberystwyth. As volunteers from both Teams were making their way to the incident, the Coastguard helicopter was able to access the scene, and the casualty was evacuated to hospital by air.

Rescue 1: Injured Biker
Shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Saturday 28th September Call handlers from Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team received a request to assist an ambulance crew with the rescue of an injured motorcyclist near Happy Valley, Tywyn.

The man, in his late forties and from Northumbria, was part of a guided off-road motorbike group exploring a hill-track popular with green-lane groups when he came off his machine. Although the crash was at slow speed, the man landed badly and injured his shoulder.

A Team volunteer who lives locally was quickly on scene and made his way up the track on foot to meet the group, shortly followed by paramedics from a Welsh Ambulance Service crew. Other Team volunteers made their way to the scene with equipment as the man was being assessed, and after the provision for pain relief he was able to walk assisted down to a waiting Team vehicle and then to the ambulance for hospital transfer.

Rescue 2: Trapped Dog
At 1:30 p.m., as Team volunteers had just about stored all the equipment and were settling back into their Saturday, a second call was received, this time from the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), requesting assistance in accessing a dog trapped in old lead mine-workings at Dylife, south of Machynlleth. The rescue of animals is not strictly within the scope of the Team's operation, and for some animals, the capability of the equipment we use. Each request is assessed on it's own merits, and volunteers are made fully aware of the individual situation. In this case, the need for a technical rope system to access the old mine shaft provided an excellent training opportunity, and the dangerous steps that the owners had already taken to access the dog themselves, and would continue to do so, meant that there was a significant risk to human life if we declined to help.

At around 3:15 p.m. and just as the first volunteers were arriving on scene at Dylife, call handlers received word of another call-out, this time a walker with a leg injury on Cader Idris. The dog-rescue party was pared down to the minimum required to operate the system with the help of the fire crew already on scene, whilst one team vehicle and other volunteers still en route were diverted to Minffordd for the third rescue.

At Dylife, the lowering and raising system was rigged without issue, and a Team volunteer was lowered over the crumbling silty lip of the shaft to reach the dog on a ledge a few metres down, and above a much bigger drop. The dog, very pleased to see the red jacket, cooperated beautifully, and was quickly loaded into a bag for transport upwards. Both rescuer and dog were a little dirtier for their troubles, and while the dog was passed back to its owners, the rescuer was hosed-down courtesy of the FRS crew. Everyone was back roughly where they should be within the hour, with the Team volunteers making their way to support call-out No.3 at Minffordd.

Rescue 3: Ankle Injury on Cader Idris
The third incident involved a wild swimmer from London. The woman was one of many outdoor swimming enthusiasts due to take part in the Hurly Burly event which centres on a swim from Barmouth to Penmaenpool on the Mawddach Estuary. Unfortunately the event had been cancelled a couple of days earlier because of the prevailing and forecast bad weather, and the fact that the rivers were running at unusually high levels. However, with the time set aside, child-care in place and accommodation paid for, the woman and her friend had decided to come anyway and to make the most of the time set aside for their Snowdonia visit. Being wild-swimmers, they had already taken a dip in Tal y llyn, and following a recommendation, also swam in Llyn Cau, midway up Cader Idris. Unfortunately, the guidebook focused much on the lake and not so much on the terrain setting, and they were underprepared for the mountain environment in poor weather. The swim in Llyn Cau went well, though was described as "very cold", but shortly after leaving the water the woman went over on her ankle, and could no longer load-bear on it. Cold from the swim, and underprepared for a long wait in poor weather, there was also the risk of hypothermia setting in. Unable to get a phone signal ot the incident site, the woman's friend was forced to move further down the mountain to raise the alarm.

A small party of Team volunteers was despatched to locate the woman, and to assess and stabilise her injuries. She was placed in a group-shelter and given additional clothing to rewarm, but it was evident that she would be unable to walk off the mountain. Whilst inquiries were made about the availability of the Coastguard helicopter, R936, contingency plans were put in place to deal with the difficult stretcher carry down the Minffordd steps. As a number of Aberdyfi volunteers were still in transit from the dog rescue, a request for support was placed with the neighbouring team, South Snowdonia Search & Rescue. This ability to draw on skilled personnel, trained to a similar level and using similar equipment, in order to back-fill any under-resourced incidents makes for a highly robust and effective service, and is one of the great strengths of Mountain Rescue in England and Wales.

Fortunately R936 was available and able to fly in under the cloudbase and land close to the casualty. After a short stretcher-carry, the woman was loaded aboard and flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd for further assessment and treatment. Everyone was safely back at the carpark by 6:15 p.m.

​Shortly before 3:00 p.m. the Team received a request to assist a Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) crew assist an injured woman at Dolgoch Falls near Tywyn.

The 62 year old woman from Chirk was walking with her husband at the popular beauty spot when she slipped and fell on a rocky path midway up the falls. Her husband raised the alarm and she was initially attended by a WAST paramedic, while Team volunteers assembled the equipment required to remove her from the scene. Using a wheeled stretcher, Team members maneuvered the woman down the difficult ground to the waiting ambulance for transport to hospital based care.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m. call-handlers from the Team were made aware of two campers in distress on Cader Idris.

The couple, a man and woman in their 60s and 70s, had ascended the mountain from Minffordd on Sunday with the intent of staying out overnight. They encountered low cloud on the upper slopes and were unable to locate the summit hut. Wet and cold, they pitched their tent and spent an uncomfortable night on the hillside, but, increasingly anxious about their situation, they called for assistance shortly before dawn.

The pair were able to supply accurate information about their position, but were too anxious to use this information to get themselves down off the mountain. A small party of Team volunteers scaled the mountain and escorted the pair down to safety.

Everyone was back at vehicles by 11:40 a.m.

​Shortly before 2:00 p.m. the Team was made aware of a seriously injured man in the hills south of Machynlleth.

The man, a 69 year old farmer, had fallen down a bank from a hill track at Rhiw Gam, and had sustained suspected pelvic and spinal injuries. Early reports suggested that he had been knocked over by a cow.

Given the nature of the injuries, assistance was requested from the coastguard helicopter, Rescue 936. The winchman-paramedic was dropped at the scene, and together with Team volunteers, set about stabilising the casualty and getting him onto a stretcher while R936 landed further down the valley. The man was carried a short distance to a position suitable for winching him aboard the helicopter and then transport to Bronglais hospital, Aberystwyth for further assessment and treatment.

Everyone was safely off the hill by 4:30 p.m.

Shortly before 7:00 p.m. Team call-handlers were made aware of reports that an elderly woman was missing on Cader Idris.

The woman became separated from her husband, both in their 70's while they were descending the Pony Path. The husband waited at Ty Nant, the bottom of the path, but after 1 1/2 hours had elapsed he raised the alarm.

North Wales Police officers and Mountain Rescue volunteers started coordinating a plan, and two passing walkers offered to keep an eye out for the woman as they made their way up the mountain to camp. The husband pointed out her last known position to the walkers and commented that she could have taken an alternative path heading down toward the youth hostel.

Having reached their proposed campsite, the two walkers dumped their equipment and decided to check this alternative route. They fortunately located the woman in a ditch, where she had fallen and injured her ribs. While one of the men stayed with the injured woman, the other descended the mountain to inform rescuers, and the lady was assisted down off the mountain.

Everyone was safely down off the mountain by 8:30 p.m., although the walkers then headed back up the mountain to get on with their camping trip.

Team spokesperson Graham O'Hanlon recognised the contribution made by the passing walkers; "We'd like to say thanks to a great pair of lads who selflessly gave of their time to help a fellow walker. Without their efforts we could have been looking at an entirely different outcome."

Shortly before 10:00 p.m. the team was made aware of reports of a flashing light seen on the hills above Fairbourne.

The Informant  reported seeing a flashing light in the approximate  direction of Blue Lake and lasting for about  20 min. 

A Team volunteer drove to Fairbourne, but was unable to spot any lights on the hillside. With reasonable phone coverage in the area and no calls for help received , it was concluded to be a false alarm with good intention, and likely due to torch light from people enjoying the night-time hills.

Shortly after 1:00 pm  call handlers from the Team were made aware of a walker with an ankle injury on Cader Idris.

The, woman, in her 50’s, was part of a family group exploring the mountains, and had slipped on Mynydd Moel, one of the eastern peaks of the range. The group were quickly able to confirm their location by means of a SNP marker. These small discs were placed on all principle fence crossing points across the mountain by the Snowdonia National Park, and display a grid reference for that particular location.
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Given the location and the difficult nature of the extraction route for a stretcher carry, the assistance of the Coastguard helicopter, R936, was requested. The helicopter was able to land close to the casualty site, and the woman was transferred to hospital for further assessment and treatment.