Aberdyfi Search And Rescue Team
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Lost Walkers on Cader Idris

24/10/2018

 
At around 12:45 a.m.  Team call-handlers were made aware of two walkers lost on Cader Idris. 

The walkers, a 54 year old woman and her 26 year old son, both from Kent, had set out earlier the previous day with the intention of traversing the mountain from Ty Nant via the summit and south ridge to Minffordd. At some point after the summit they lost the south ridge path. They continued descending until the terrain became too difficult to continue.

Speaking to a call-handler they described themselves as "unhurt, just lost," and were able to see what they believed to be the Tal y Llyn lake.

A team vehicle was deployed to Tal y Llyn to show blue lights and look for a response on the hillside. A light was spotted on the hill side in Cwm Amarch and an estimated location was calculated. With this information established, a party of Team volunteers was deployed up the steep slope to locate the casualties. The plan was to walk the pair back down the mountain, but on assessment, the mother was found to be unable to walk due to the aggravation of a pre-existing back problem. Given the steep nature of the terrain, assistance from the Coastguard helicopter, R936, was requested to help with casualty evacuation. The pair were winched aboard the aircraft and flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd for further assessment and treatment.

​Everyone was safely off the hill by 6:30 a.m.
Picture
Not the moon, but Coastguard R936 approaching from over the ridge.

Panic Attack on Cader Idris

21/10/2018

 
PictureConditions were pretty poor at the 560 on Cader Idris
Shortly after 11:00 a.m on Sunday 21st Oct, Team call-handlers were alerted to a woman reported to be having a panic attack in the summit hut on Cader Idris.

With the forecast low cloud, wind and rain well established over the peaks, the woman, in her early 40's, had become anxious over her predicament; with no map or compass to assist, the woman and her brother were unsure in which direction their chosen route lay, and rang for mountain rescue assistance.

With the woman's phone going straight to answerphone or ringing out unanswered, and attempts to locate the party using smartphone protocols not activated by the casualty, the Team had little information to work with. Team volunteers were therefore dispatched up the main routes from Ty Nant and Dol Idris and set about interviewing walkers coming off the mountain. It quickly became apparent that the pair had left the summit hut shortly after calling for help, but it was not clear in which direction they had travelled.

At around 1:20 p.m. North Wales Police reported that they had received a call from the pair saying they had joined up with a larger group, but again attempts to call the casualty or establish their location went unanswered. Drawing a blank trying to locate this larger group, Team volunteers retreated down the hill to man key exit-points and continued to quiz descending walkers.

Somewhere along the way the pair had seemingly split away from the larger group and at around 2:00 p.m., call handlers received a text saying that the pair had been "retracing their ascent route but must have taken a wrong turn" and were lost. Again attempts to call the casualty or establish their location went unanswered. Not knowing what their ascent route had been, Team volunteers had no option but to hold their positions at key exit points and see if the people appeared.

At around 2:20 the couple finally made contact to say they were off the mountain, and they were eventually located on the B4405 at Tal y Llyn by a volunteer making his way home.

Missing Person in Dolgellau

18/10/2018

 
Just before 3 a.m., Team call-handlers were made aware of a man missing from home in the Dolgellau area.

The man had disappeared from his home address following a domestic dispute, and had left a note and social media posts that led family and friends to believe he intended to self-harm.

Initial searches by North Wales Police had drawn a blank, and the Team was put on standby to begin searching at first light. Fortunately the man returned to his home address unharmed shortly after the call went out, and the Team stood down again.

Injured Woman on the Pony Path

8/10/2018

 
​Just before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday 7th October, Team were requested to help the Welsh Ambulance Service attend to an injured woman on Cader Idris, near Dolgellau.

The 76 year old woman, from Sutton Coldfield, was part of a walking group making its way down the Pony Path from a successful trip to the summit. She had tripped and fallen forward onto both arms which had given way and resulted in her banging her head on the floor. With both arms injured and with considerable pain from suspected fractures, the lady was unable to continue on foot, and assistance from the Coastguard helicopter R936 was requested by the Team call-handler.

Team volunteers reached the casualty and found the lady cold but in good spirits. R936 arrived on scene shortly afterwards and Team members assisted the winchman paramedic in treating and preparing her for evacuation by helicopter. She was flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd for further assessment and treatment. Team members and the remaining members of the walking group were safely off the hill by 8:30 p.m.
Picture

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