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.
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.