Louth Civil Defence – Mourne Mountain Adventure

2 May 2012

Louth Civil Defence assisted in the Mourne Mountain Adventure on the 28th April, a cross border event sponsored by the NIFRS, PSNI, MOD, HMCG, Down DC, Newry Mourne DC and the RNLI.

Civil Defence Volunteers were tasked to provide a 4×4 Ambulance to be based at the Coast Guard station in Newcastle Co. Down and a 4×4 Jeep with an EMT to operate alongside the PSNI MRT team on the Mountain. Civil Defence personnel treated several casualties with minor injuries and one with a broken ankle.

At 2.15pm Civil Defence was asked by a member of the RNLI to assist with a casualty taken from the water with hypothermia. This casualty was in a critical condition with a core temperture of 16.6 and only for the actions taken by the ambulance crew on-site and on route to the hospital it would have been a different outcome for the casualty. The ambulance crew had phoned ahead to Daisy Hill Hospital and a team was awaiting their arrival.

Quote from Lt Col R H Morgan | JRLO | 38 (Irish) Brigade

‘ We had no idea when planning the Mourne Mountain Adventure over the last year that serendipity would play its part. A young man who was swimming in the sea near the Rock Pool at Newcastle got into difficulties and was spotted by the RNLI Inshore Life Boat from Newcastle which was providing safety cover for the event. They swiftly rescued him and brought him ashore where he was taken by the Civil Defence Ambulance to hospital as he was suffering from hypothermia. The Adventure was designed to demonstrate cross border resilience and improve inter-agency working; saving this young man’s life is a clear example of the professionalism in the voluntary and emergency services.’

At all times the members of Civil Defence were treated with the highest respect by all of the agencies involved in the event.

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