Observant farmer saves climber’s life

Observant farmer saves climber’s life


Anton McNulty

AN observant farmer in Achill who noticed that a man who regularly climbs Slievemore had failed to return resulted in a successful rescue which otherwise could easily have resulted in a fatality.
A man in his thirties who lives in Achill was suffering from mild hypothermia after he was rescued from the top of Slievemore by the Achill Island Coastguard on Sunday night. The man had started to climb earlier in the day but failed to return and the alarm was raised at 8pm on Sunday evening after a local farmer noticed that his bicycle was still chained up at Slievemore cemetery.
The climber was spotted at the top of Slievemore by the Coastguard helicopter and the first team of climbers located the climber at about 10.40pm. It took approximately one hour for two teams to bring the casualty down from the mountain and he was brought to a local GP and then to Mayo General Hospital.
A spokesperson for the Achill Coastguard said the conditions at the top of Slievemore were bitterly cold with frost, hail and snow showers and if the matter had not been reported promptly there could have been a fatality.
“There was no way he would have survived the night, he was cold, disoriented and was suffering from mild hypothermia. He was wet and cold when we got to him and there was no shelter at the top.
“It was only for the local farmer who spotted the bike was still there that the alarm was raised. It just shows how important it is for the community to continue to look out for each other.”