Tuesday 23rd  February 2010

 

Pagers were activated at approximately 1055.  A Four person team left the post for Lochgoilhead to attend to a fallen male climber.  

Lochgoilhead road was closed for resurfacing, as was the forest track.  Special thanks to Matt the digger driver who quickly excavated a short section of road to get the team through.

2 Arrochar MRT members were already on the scene, and a further 3 team members arrived during the course of the rescue.  The Casualty had fallen from a crag resulting in hip, leg, and ankle trauma.  The Casualty was packaged onto a team stretcher, and transported to the grounds of the Lochgoilhead centre where a Scottish air ambulance helicopter evacuated him to hospital.  The rescue was concluded by approximately 1300.

 A total of 33 man hours was expended on the rescue.

 

Tuesday 2nd February 2010

 

The pagers were activated at 1845 to assist in a search for a missing 61 year old man in the Kilmelford area, south of Oban.  Both team Land Rovers deployed.  The missing person had been spotted on a local road, and Arrrochar, Oban and Strathclyde Police Mountain Rescue Teams were joined by helicopters and local volunteers, all of whom spent several hours combing the area.  About 0130 information was received that he had been seen and the teams moved to the relevant area.  The missing person was very tired and cold, and was stretchered to an awaiting ambulance.  The incident was completed by 0300.

Arrochar MRT expended a total of 170 man hours on this incident.

31st January 2010

 

The team was alerted at 1645 to join Oban MRT on Ben Cruachan.  Three walkers descending the mountain had lost their way, and found themselves in an exposed situation in icy conditions.  Both team Land Rovers deployed to the corrie above the Cruachan power station.  Oban team members located the walkers, and all were lifted off the hill by RN Rescue 177.  After a cold, frightening experience, all were assessed by Arrochar and Oban team members and were found to be well.  The team returned to the Rescue Post by 2200.  Team Leader, Mark Leyland said of the incident:

“At this time of year, all hill-goers should be aware that the underfoot snow and ice conditions can be treacherous, and should have an ice axe and crampons available with them to use as necessary”.

“Arrochar MRT expended a total of 70 man hours on this incident”

Wednesday 30th  December 2009

 

 

Call out at 12:45.  Person avalanched in NE corrie of Beinn an Dothaidh near Bridge of Orchy.

Arrochar, Oban & Strathclyde Police MR teams in attendance at Achallander Farm. Casualty with reported leg injury was lifted by RAF Rescue 137 and transported to A & E.

 

A further avalanche incident was reported shortly after at Corrie Daimh, Beinn Udlaidh, Glen Orchy. Teams mobilised to Bridge of Orchy Farm and were deployed onto hill. Royal Navy Rescue 177 lifted casualty with suspect leg injury. Companion was walked off hill with MR teams.

Saturday 5th December 2009

 

Pagers were activated at 1440 to attend to a lady who was taken unwell with chest pains on the Cobbler Path.  Team members were lifted by RN Sea King (Rescue 177), flying through thick cloud to get as close as possible to the scene. The Arrochar team deployed and transported the casualty by stretcher to the helicopter.  After departure of the aircraft, the team walked off the hill, with the incident completed by 1700.

Saturday 24^th October 2009

 

 

Call out at 12:30. Ben Achaladair near Bridge of Orchy.  Companions to the injured person said the casualty had slipped and fallen down a rocky slope injuring his back.  They tried to walk him back down but the pain was too much, so they called for rescue, leaving him and two friends with their extra clothing. 

 Rescue 177 helicopter was on scene by 13:30 just as Arrochar MRT joined Strathpol and Oban MRT’s at Achaladair farm. 

Rescue 177 helicopter picked up the casualty and flew him to hospital.

 

Friday 23^rd October 2009

 

Call out at 14:00. A walker descending from the summit of Beinn Dorain near Bridge of Orchy had become disorientated in the clouds.  Strathpol MRT made contact with the walker by mobile phone and gave him a compass bearing from a lochan he had spotted, to the main footpath which soon located and walked down safely.  3 Oban MRT walked up to escort him down.

 

Saturday 5^th September 2009

 

Call out at 19:00. Three women had become disorientated in the mist at Bealach a’ Mhaim.  Team members deployed into Coiregrogain and approached the area from several routes to locate the missing women.  They were soon recovered and walked down.  The rescue was completed by 2130.

 

Thursday 6^th August 2009

 

Call out at 16:00.   A walker had become crag fast on the South Peak of the Cobbler.  Team members were converging on the area when Rescue 177 helicopter arrived on the scene and winched the stranded walker off the summit.

 

Thursday 2^nd July 2009

 

Call out at 13:00. Tornado aircraft crash in Glen Kinglass. Team was quickly recalled as RAF Mountain Rescue was called in to deal with the situation. 

 

Thursday 7th May 2009

 

Call out by Strathpol MRT at 1730 to Beinn Sgulaird north of Oban.

 

Oban and Strathpol MRT’s were also on scene to recover a casualty with a broken leg near the top of the south east ridge.

 

Deteriorating weather conditions (very wet with increasing wind velocities) were causing the Sea King rescue helicopter technical problems. The Arrochar contingent, with Oban and Strathpol colleagues set off up the ridge in poor conditions.

 

The casualty was packaged, and in an impressive feat of flying Rescue 177 (helicopter) came in and picked him up.

 

Sunday 3^rd May 2009

 

Callout at around 17:30 after the team’s monthly training day.  A few were still at the Post holding a meeting, and 5 members quickly headed up the Cobbler path to attend an injured person with a suspected broken ankle.

 

3 other members joined later on, and the casualty was stretchered off to an awaiting ambulance.

 

Friday 20^th & Saturday 21^st March 2009

 

 

Initial request on Friday 20^th from Strathpol MRT & Coast Guard to search for a missing canoeist in the Cove area of Loch Long. On Saturday further deployments (13 members) were briefed by at the CG Station, with various groups transported by the police ‘rigid raider’ to search shorelines only accessible from Loch Long.

 

Nothing was found although an upright canoe and a paddle had been previously recovered.

 

Thursday 12th March 2009

 

The team was alerted around lunchtime for missing person in Lochgilphead area.  The recall was 10 minutes after the callout, so the team was swiftly stood down

 

Monday 9th March 2009

 

Callout at 01:00 to assist Oban & Strathpol MRTs searching for a missing person.  The team proceeded to Oban hospital where the missing person, a 75 year old diabetic male, had been reported absent.  For the remainder of the night and the following morning, Arrochar, Oban and Strathpol teams conducted various search sweeps.

 

Strathpol helicopter eventually discovered the casualty.  He was evacuated to hospital and made a full recovery.

 

Sunday 22nd Feb 2009

 

Team called out at 20:00 to Lochgoilhead area for a person who was reported late returning home. Team recalled en-route after person turned up.

 

Sunday 8th Feb 2009

 

An injured hill walker had a lucky escape on Sunday when walking in the Arrochar Alps.

 Whilst descending from the Cobbler a solo female hill walker slipped on hard snow and fell a hundred feet. Although suffering from several injuries she was able to raise the alarm by blowing a whistle and waving her ice axe which attracted the attention of a group of passing climbers. After rendering immediate first aid, they alerted the police of a slip and fall via a mobile phone and the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team were mobilised at 3:45pm.

A helicopter from the Royal Navy, HMS Gannet, was unable to get to the injured person and returned to Arrochar to pick up mountain rescue team members.

Initially 4 team members were lifted, followed by a further 5 to carry more essential equipment. In rapidly failing light and deteriorating weather conditions the rescue parties managed to reach the casualty who by then was in cloud. Due to the poor visibility and limited fuel, the helicopter was unable to return to the scene and the Arrochar Team assisted by colleagues from Strathclyde police MRT and members of the public were then forced to evacuate the stretcher on foot from the incident site.

After a 2 hour carry, the injured person was transferred to a road ambulance at the Rest and Be Thankful, from where she was taken to Paisley RAH. Her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

31st Jan & 1st Feb 2009

 

The weekend of the 31st January and 1st February proved to be a busy time for the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team.

The major part of the Team was in the Cairngorms hosting an international exchange with colleagues from the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association in Ireland. This involved joint training of the two teams in a range of winter mountaineering and rescue skills in the Coire Cas area of Cairngorm Mountain.

On Saturday, whilst preparing to start their training exercise, they were witness to a fall by a member of the public who was blown over and slid down a 200 meter icy slope to land in rocks below. The Arrochar Team immediately attended the incident and, assisted by nearby colleagues from Strathclyde Police mountain rescue team also on exercise, along with Cairngorm Ski patrol were able to offer medical assistance. A snow cat from the ski area, and the funicular railway were then used to evacuate to an awaiting RAF helicopter.

On Sunday, the Team were again active, being called out to an incident in the Bridge of Orchy area. The casualty was evacuated by RAF helicopter.

Team Leader, Mark Leyland said

‘Conditions of snow and ice in the mountains of Scotland can make for unforgiving conditions for walking and climbing. Mountaineers should always ensure they have appropriate equipment including an Ice Axe and Crampons and know how to use them