Blog Archives

Injured Mountain Biker at Arthog

28/1/2015

Transferring the casualty.

At around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team was made aware of an injured mountain biker on a bridleway above the village of Arthog on the Mawddach Estuary.

The rider, a forty-one year old man from Flintshire, had gone over his handlebars on the steep track and sustained a serious injury to his elbow. The incident also triggered severe cramps in both legs leaving him unable to walk out. The man's riding partner, a friend of the Team, was able to pin- point their location, and ASART volunteers living locally were quickly on site.

The elbow injury was stabilised and then the casualty was carried a short distance to the end of the track where an ambulance was able to convey him to hospital-based care. His elbow turned out to be dislocated but not broken.

Everyone was safely off the hill by 3:30 p.m.

Three Walkers Lost on Cadair Idris

7/1/2015

The new Team van saves the day!

At 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon volunteers from Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team were made aware of three walkers lost on Cadair Idris.

The three men, all from the Merseyside area, had started in reasonable weather mid-morning, but encountered strong winds and heavy rain as they got higher on the mountain. They became disorientated in the poor weather and failing daylight, lost the path they intended to follow and although making their way down, had no idea as to their location. Calling North Wales Police to request assistance, the men reported that they had taken shelter in a shepherds hut on the mountain.

Team members knew of only a few locations fitting the description given and the SARLOC protocol was sent to the walker's mobile phone in an attempt to confirm the exact location. SARLOC makes use of the GPS function on a casualty's smart-phone, and can send an accurate grid-reference directly to the Team. Unfortunately the men's phone-signal did not have a good enough data connection for SARLOC to work, but a phone conversation with the call-handler helped identify their location. "It took patience and good local knowledge to work out their position" said Team Leader Dave Williams, "and it was a credit to all involved that with only scant information we got the location right first time"

The men turned out to be in a shelter close to one of the farm tracks above Llanfihangel-y-Pennant and so it was decided to pick them up using the Teams new 4-wheel drive vehicle. The men were safely recovered and returned to their car at Talyllyn by 6:30 p.m. "It has taken us a number of years to raise funds for the new Team van, so it is good to see it earning its keep already" added Dave.