Brendan Nutley paid a visit to our school to talk to us about the great work of the people involved with Mayo Mountain Rescue. He explained what it’s like to volunteer for this organisation who help those in trouble on the hills and mountains of Mayo.
Mayo Mountain Rescue team do their work at any time without question every hour of every day of every year. Mwellrea and Croagh Patrick are mountains from where they receive alot of their callouts. It costs 45,000 Euro per hour for the chopper to be brought from Sligo each time there’s a rescue mission. Many of the calls are due to lower leg injuries received when climbing, this sometimes comes from wearing unsuitable footwear with no grips or severe wind conditions.
Brendan’s average size rucksack contained many items of importance needed for a callout. A small foil blanket can increase ones body temperature in as little as 5 minutes. They can be purchased on ebay for as little as 20c. A very important metal hook called a carabeener (worth approx. €55) – this helps lift Brendan up into helicopter.
The envious pupils listened on when Brendan said: “I can have as many sweets as I want” sugar can help lift a person’s mood and energy levels if thay have been left cold and stranded on a mountain for some time. Very important to bring a long a flask for warm fluids. A helmet is vital as nearly always a team member falls. Eight people must be available to go out on a rescue mission.
A compass is very important for direction, batteries on a phone can go dead which would mean no GPS. Last year on reek Sunday, Brendan used a towel with a heat pack on a child who was very cold and wet. Anti-histamines and pain killers are also brough along by the Mountain Rescue Team Members. A hose peeps out from his rucksack which pipes out water as needed. Pulleys are very important for lowering and raising people into the helicopter. Brendan demonstrated how they are used in school yard.
On finishing his talk at our school, Brendan received another emergency callout with Mayo Mountain Rescue, luckily he was collecting Jack from school that day so he got to go with him and witness it all. Not surprising, it was another lower leg injury, rescue mission was successful. Well done to all with Mayo Mountain Rescue, great work.
