Arctic ARW units and RAF in rescue mission in Glen of imaal.

Morpheus · 10-02-2009 2:54pm #1

from www.breakingnews.ie

Elite Irish troops were today airlifted onto Leinster’s highest mountain to help rescue teams find two climbers stranded overnight.

Four helicopters and dozens of personnel drawn from Ireland, the North and Wales are involved in the high-level operation on Lugnacoille in Co Wicklow.
The two Irish climbers, who are aged in their 30s, became disorientated in freezing fog at 4pm yesterday.
They were forced to spend the night on the mountain but have remained in mobile phone contact with rescue teams.
“There is zero visibility on the mountain at the moment. The two men can hear the helicopters but cannot see them,” said an Irish Coast Guard spokeswoman.
“It is believed the men may be close to the summit.”
Some 50 members of the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) with Arctic survival skills were dropped into the area by Air Corps helicopters today after they were diverted from nearby drills in the Glen of Imaal military zone.
Teams from Co Wicklow, Co Kerry and Newcastle, Co Down are also assisting the search, led by Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue.
A RAF Sea King helicopter flew in a rescue team from Wales while an Irish Coastguard helicopter from Waterford also transported a civilian rescue unit across the Irish Sea from nearby Ogwen Valley.
Lugnacoille is about 925m (3,035ft) high and its base is located close to Glenmalure, about 105km (65 miles) south of Dublin.
Met Éireann forecast sleet and snow across high ground in the central Wicklow area today.
The RAF admitted it was unusual for its personnel to get involved in an Irish mountain rescue operation.
“Our colleagues in Ireland requested our assistance and we are happy to help,” said a spokesman for the RAF Rescue Centre at Kinloss in Scotland.
“It is very unusual for UK assets to deploy in this way, especially a civilian team, but when lives are at risk everyone with the expertise who can help wants to help.”
He added: “We are united in giving this search our very best shot. Conditions are improving and we hope and pray for a good outcome.”
The Defence Forces confirmed two Air Corps AW 139 helicopters are also assisting the Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team and Irish Coast Guard in the ongoing search.
“The Army Rangers were diverted to the Glen of Imaal from a training exercise to carry out searches in the general area around Lugnaquilla Mountain (925 metres/3,034 feet) and Slievemaan (759 metres/2,490 feet),” said a spokesman.
“They have been dropped by helicopter to search areas this morning. This unit has personnel qualified in Arctic survival skills.
“Other local military staff from Coolmooney Camp in the Glen of Imaal were assisting and co-ordinating with Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue throughout last night.”
The alarm was raised at about 9.30pm last night by Army personnel in the Glen of Imaal.
The Coast Guard helicopter was scrambled but was forced back from the mountain by poor visibility.
“The situation is ongoing and developing,” added a Department of Transport spokeswoman today.

Morpheus · 10-02-2009 4:51pm

The story continues, again from www.breakingnews.ie

well done to all teams and assets involved.

Two climbers found:

Two climbers stranded for nearly 24 hours in freezing conditions on Leinster’s highest mountain were found safe and are being airlifted to hospital this afternoon.

The Irish pair were located close to the summit of Lugnaquilla in Co Wicklow after a massive ground and air operation involving Irish and British rescue teams backed by the Defence Forces.

In one of the biggest rescues ever mounted in the area, up to 50 members of the elite Army Ranger Wing were assisted by helicopters scrambled by the Irish Coast Guard, the Air Corps and the RAF.

“The two men were located after 12.30pm in an area close to the summit known as the South Prison,” said a spokesman for the Defence Forces’ Operations Cell in the Curragh.

“An Air Corps helicopter immediately dropped medics and equipment to the scene.

“Members of the Army Rangers Wing and civilian mountain rescue personnel are currently assisting the men.

“They will be moved to lower ground and Air Corps helicopters are on standby to airlift them to hospital.”

The two climbers, who are aged in their 30s, became disorientated in freezing fog at 4pm yesterday.

They were forced to spend the night on the mountain but have remained in mobile phone contact with rescue teams.

Army Rangers with Arctic survival skills were dropped into the area from helicopters after being diverted from nearby drills in the Glen of Imaal military zone.

Teams from Co Wicklow, Co Kerry and Newcastle, Co Down also assisted the search, led by the Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team.

A RAF Sea King helicopter also flew in a specialist military rescue team from RAF Valley in Wales while an Irish Coast Guard helicopter from Waterford also transported a civilian rescue unit across the Irish Sea from the Ogwen Valley.

Lugnaquilla is about 925m (3,035ft) high and its base is located close to Glenmalure, about 105km (65 miles) south of Dublin.

The RAF admitted it was unusual for its personnel to get involved in an Irish mountain rescue operation.

“It is very unusual for UK assets to deploy in this way, especially a civilian team, but when lives are at risk everyone with the expertise who can help wants to help,” said a spokesman for the RAF Rescue Centre at Kinloss in Scotland.

The RAF team was specifically trained and equipped for high Alpine rescue conditions.
The Army Rangers unit has personnel qualified in Arctic survival skills. Other local Defence Forces staff from Coolmooney Camp in the Glen of Imaal assisted rescue efforts overnight.

The alarm was raised at about 9.30pm last night by Army personnel in the Glen of Imaal.

The Coast Guard helicopter was then scrambled but was forced back from the mountain by poor visibility.

concussion · 10-02-2009 5:21pm

Good too see that so many assets can be acquired so quickly.

A GPS fix might have helped things along, seeing as they were in phone contact...

Mr. Presentable · 10-02-2009 5:25pm

Who is going to foot the bill? For two men old enough to know better. I am of the opinion there should be insurance in place before people go "hill walking" in what are patently unsafe conditions. Or they should have to pay from whatever means they have.

What would the cost of this have been?

Fratton Fred · 10-02-2009 6:09pm

it sounds a bit OTT, what price for two lives eh?

If the ARW were in the area then surely the cost of them nipping over to help out is nothing and I'm sure for most of those involved it was good to do something for real rather than just training, especially with the succesful outcome.

Leadership · 10-02-2009 6:27pm

Fratton Fred wrote: »

it sounds a bit OTT, what price for two lives eh?

If the ARW were in the area then surely the cost of them nipping over to help out is nothing and I'm sure for most of those involved it was good to do something for real rather than just training, especially with the succesful outcome.

Makes perfect sense to me much better than sat in a bivi.

The British probably enjoyed the "incursion" and would not bill for it

Tabnabs · 10-02-2009 9:13pm

nipplenuts wrote: »

Who is going to foot the bill? For two men old enough to know better. I am of the opinion there should be insurance in place before people go "hill walking" in what are patently unsafe conditions. Or they should have to pay from whatever means they have.

What would the cost of this have been?

How much does it cost the tax payer when the ARW are on manoeuvres abroad? Where do you think they learnt their Arctic survival skills? Fuel for the AW139 when on training flights? The military is not a business and can never present an invoice to someone they rescue, the same for the emergency services. How many road traffic accidents involve the emergency services daily, their insurance doesn't cover call outs and man hours?

However, the mountain rescue teams could do with a nice big donation as they are purely voluntary organisation and their websites have the donation buttons clearly displayed.

Just be grateful that two men are safe and with their families tonight.

vulcan57 · 10-02-2009 9:23pm

Leadership wrote: »

Makes perfect sense to me much better than sat in a bivi.

The British probably enjoyed the "incursion" and would not bill for it

Nice to see the co-operation between the british and Irish on such a service. This kind of rescue is good for the rescue services from both sides of the Irish sea as we never know when this kind of co-operation might be needed again, maybe next time the tables might be turned and the ARW might be called on to help in the UK. Well done to all involved and thank god they were found ok. You never know this lead to a possible joint exercise or something.

iceage · 10-02-2009 9:45pm

+1 to the last two posts, great to see all these agencies and bodys being able to cooperate. thankfully it turned out well with two survivors all to often this is not the case in these circumstances and we see the teams returning with bodies.

A billy Connelly sketch springs to mind " Ben Nevis in khaki shorts n' sand shoes!" it seems that the two men concerned were at least someway equipped and prepared to spend the night after being told to go to ground. Cracking job by all concerned.

Poccington · 10-02-2009 9:47pm

Absolutely delighted to see our lads and the Brits work together. I'm even happier to see how eager both sides were to get the job done together, we've come a long way over the years and it's a great thing to see.

concussion · 10-02-2009 9:54pm

Poccington wrote: »

Absolutely delighted to see our lads and the Brits work together.

vulcan57 wrote: »

Nice to see the co-operation between the british and Irish on such a service.

Leadership wrote: »

The British probably enjoyed the "incursion" and would not bill for it

'All stations this is 0 - take precautions for possible barstool shinner rant. Acknowledge, over'

Poccington · 10-02-2009 9:56pm

concussion wrote: »

'All stations this is 0 - take precautions for possible barstool shinner rant. Acknowledge, over'

'1 - wilco, out'

iceage · 10-02-2009 10:06pm

2-Roger, out..:D:rolleyes:

iceage · 10-02-2009 10:09pm

A major whipround me thinks for the Mountain Rescue from these two lads.

Borneo Fnctn · 10-02-2009 11:42pm

So two posh gits got lost and had to call the emergency services? Glad to hear they're safe and I hope this at least reminds people to take due care when going into the great outdoors.

concussion · 11-02-2009 12:01am

Seems they were on their way down and got caught out by the weather, lost their map and spent 5 hours trying to get down before making the call. They're reported as being experienced mountaineers so it looks like a case of bad luck rather than a couple of lads going off doing something stupid.
They're being treated for exposure and hypothermia.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0210/wicklow.html
Video
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0210/wicklow_av.html?2489756,null,230

jackpalance wrote: »

So two posh gits got lost and had to call the emergency services? Glad to hear they're safe and I hope this at least reminds people to take due care when going into the great outdoors.

Posh gits?

Borneo Fnctn · 11-02-2009 12:04am

concussion wrote: »

Posh gits?

Sorry just an assumption.

concussion · 11-02-2009 12:07am

Ah yeah, I heard the same thing.

neilled · 11-02-2009 12:46am

concussion wrote: »

'All stations this is 0 - take precautions for possible barstool shinner rant. Acknowledge, over'

Prepared to seize barstool and deny food, feeding trough and comfort to the enemy!

:D:D

cyrusdvirus · 11-02-2009 9:33am

vulcan57 wrote: »

, maybe next time the tables might be turned and the ARW might be called on to help in the UK.

please tell me you taking the mickey right?
The thing is do you HONESTLY reckon that there were members of the SAS aboard that RAF Sea King?? Cos that's what you're implying there.

Don't get me wrong, I have as much respect for the ARW as a civvie can have, but there is no way that i can see the SAS being involved in a SAR mission in Wickla'....

Sleipnir · 11-02-2009 9:45am

Who mentioned the SAS?

cyrusdvirus · 11-02-2009 9:48am

Sleipnir wrote: »

Who mentioned the SAS?

The SAS are the UK equivalent of the ARW.

If ,as Vulcan would like to see, the tables are turned and the ARW are deployed to the UK to help in an SAR mission, then (to my admittedly mischievous mood this morning) it implies that the SAS were over here helping find the 2 lads yesterday.

twinytwo · 11-02-2009 10:04am

gatecrash wrote: »

The SAS are the UK equivalent of the ARW.

If ,as Vulcan would like to see, the tables are turned and the ARW are deployed to the UK to help in an SAR mission, then (to my admittedly mischievous mood this morning) it implies that the SAS were over here helping find the 2 lads yesterday.

I do highly doubt that... Firstly thay have more important things to be doing. Secondly were the RAF to just swing by Hereford,London or Birmingham on the way here?? Thirdly and im open to correction on this ... you cant just drop soldiers into another country...... this is prob heading for the mitty:rolleyes:

Sleipnir · 11-02-2009 10:17am

gatecrash wrote: »

The SAS are the UK equivalent of the ARW.

If ,as Vulcan would like to see, the tables are turned and the ARW are deployed to the UK to help in an SAR mission, then (to my admittedly mischievous mood this morning) it implies that the SAS were over here helping find the 2 lads yesterday.

No, he said "maybe next time the tables might be turned and the ARW might be called on to help in the UK."

So, maybe the U.K. would need the Irish Army Ranger Wing to help in a rescue in the U.K.

Dunno how you got "the SAS were in the Sea King" from that.

The SAS don't do rescue. THe ARW was just helping out, that's all

Tabnabs · 11-02-2009 10:18am

I believe it was a Welsh mountain rescue team that the RAF brought over. Civilians can fit into RAF choppers too

Morpheus · 11-02-2009 10:30am

It was a RAF Mountain Rescue Service team from RAF Valley that was flown over by the RAF heli. Not some spec ops unit.

Our waterford based coastguard chopper picked up another civilian mountain rescue team from wales
and brought THEM over.

The Rangers were called in as they have high altitude and arctic survival training.

Before this gets booted to mitty land read more here about the UK assets involved:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force_Mountain_Rescue_Service_(United_Kingdom)#Current_organization_and_deployment

concussion · 11-02-2009 10:50am

Morphéus wrote: »

The Rangers were called in as they have high altitude and arctic survival training

....and were on a training exercise in the Glen at the time

Morpheus · 11-02-2009 11:00am

We know that, but I assume that they would have been called in ANYWAY because of the conditions up there. They are among the select few in this country with any experience of working and surviving in an environment like that.

vulcan57 · 11-02-2009 11:09am

gatecrash wrote: »

please tell me you taking the mickey right?
The thing is do you HONESTLY reckon that there were members of the SAS aboard that RAF Sea King?? Cos that's what you're implying there.

...

Excuse me, my friend, I am not suggesting or implying, for one minute that the SAS were in Wicklow yesterday, nor did it even enter my mind!. The RAF sent an MRT over without thought along with a rescue helicopter from RAF Valley, fair play to them, and the ARW did a sterling job putting their arctic training to good use. All I was suggesting was exactly as I had writen it that maybe if a simular situation arose in the UK that the Irish would respond with equal enthusiasm as the british did in this case.

100gSoma · 11-02-2009 2:33pm

Leadership wrote: »

The British probably enjoyed the "incursion" and would not bill for it

LMAO...

:D

100gSoma · 11-02-2009 2:37pm

Sleipnir wrote: »

The SAS don't do rescue.

Sure they do, but generally it involves hostages not hillwalkers.:D

Arctic ARW units and RAF in rescue mission in Glen of imaal.

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