On Sunday 1st December 2013 the team were tasked to carry out a joint search along with other agencies in the Strathpeffer area of Easter Ross for a missing person.

The search team was a mix of Torridon, Dundonell, Asynt and Kintail MRT’s along with SARDA North Scotland, Police Scotland search dogs and Police Scotland personnel. In total there was 55 searchers and 17 of them were from Torridon MRT which was a fantastic team turn out. We departed Torridon base at 07:30 on Sunday morning with the team mini bus and land rover and up lifted MRT en route. All searchers were briefed by Police Scotland personnel and the Dundonell team leader at 9am as the search was on Dundonell’s patch. Once briefed we departed the community centre and drove half a mile to our first search area. We commenced a line search with a total of 25 MRT personnel through very thick woodland, this proved tricky as visiblity was poor but we kept a very regimental line by using our MRT radios at either end of the search to keep a good line order. Once out of the wood we searched open clear fell which was full of old tree stumps and trunks and the odd hidden ditch or hole, this proved hard under foot but we covered all of the area pretty well. We then went back in to the woodland for another search to finish of the morning tasking then we broke for lunch. A very good soup and sandwich lunch was provided which was a good re fuel for the afternoon search. Once we had all had lunch it was back out to a new search area which consisted of searching another thick woodland, this was to be our final search area which we completed just before darkness fell. Unfortunately after good strong searches and great team efforts by all MRT and Police Scotland personnel nothing was found. Even though nothing was found as always it was a pleasure to be part of a good strong team effort by all involved and great to see different agencies working well alongside each other.

Ryan Maclean

79 year old Canadian, with daughter & son in law, descending Spidean path, on Liathach, at about 500m, slipped, tumbling fall of about 10m, unconscious 1-2 mins & confused for a few mins on recovery. Laceration to scalp, some pain rt shoulder & chest. 999 via mobile, call out about 3pm.

R 137 dropped Chris, Arjan, Ryan & Seamus + stretcher, vac mat, cas bag & O2 x 3 below cas (cloud level fluctuating between 200 – 400m).

Cas found to be cold but alert, bleeding stopped, no evidence of major injury to shoulder or chest. AVPU “A”, Pulse 110, Resps 15. Stable throughout. Put on O2, collar applied, packaged in vac mat & cas bag, stretchered below mist & winched to 137 about 6.30pm. (Initial quartet supplemented by Alasdair, Charlie & self – John & Duncan arrived after uplift).

Tough old chap, member of Canadian Alpine Club, was high in Everest & Lhotse in his mid 60’s but couldn’t handle Liathach!

Gerry

 

On the afternoon of the 14th may 2013 the team were alerted by Police Scotland of an male walker who had fallen around 10 metres on the south face of Liathach with reported head injuries. A full team call out was made along with the assistance of RAF rescue 137. The helicopter dropped MRT as high up as they could, the weather at the time was very low cloud and snow showers above 500 m. MRT soon located the casualty and then packaged and stretchered down the hill to a suitable area for a helicopter up lift. The casualty was then airlifted to hospital in Inverness and the team walked the causalty’s companions off the hill.

On the evening of 15th May the team were alerted to 2 missing walkers and a dog lost north-west of Beinn Alligan. The weather was cold and windy and day light was fading. Team members on the hill went to the location given but the walkers were not there. The team were then up lifted by Rescue 137 to help conduct the search from the air, with local knowledge and a good team effort by RAF and MRT the casualty’s and the dog were located just after 10pm. A busy 24 hours for TMRT with 2 rescues but more important they were both happy endings for all involved.

Ryan MacLean