INJURED MAN FOUND AND RESCUED FROM MOURNE MOUNTAINS

A man has been rescued from the Mourne after falling and sustaining serious leg, head and hand injuries. Mountains
  
Belfast Coastguard received a call from Police at this afternoon reporting that a man had fallen about 150 feet near Eagle Rocks in the Mourne and sustained serious injuries. The Police air support helicopter and the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team were sent to the scene by the police whilst Belfast Coastguard placed an ambulance on standby. Mountains
  
Belfast Coastguard requested the Dublin Coastguard helicopter to scramble and kept the man on the phone, trying to direct rescuers towards him, and reassuring him that help was on its way. After two hours of searching, the search area was gradually narrowed down, until eventually the mountain rescue team were able to locate the man. The mountain rescue team administered first aid and prepared the man ready for airlift to the Royal by coastguard helicopter, where the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team manned the landing site. Victoria Hospital
  
Steve Carson, Belfast Coastguard Watch Manager says:
  
"We were very concerned for this man’s health as he was quite obviously seriously injured and in a lot of pain. However, it was very difficult to locate him since he was dressed in khaki and grey so was very well camouflaged against the mountains. We knew that we were searching in the right area as we could hear the helicopters in the background on the phone. Unfortunately, all the man could do to draw attention to himself was to wave a yellow water bottle in the air with his good hand. It was therefore a relief when we were able to narrow down the search area, and the mountain rescue team were finally able to locate him.
  
This was a complex multi agency incident with the skills of the Mourne Mountain Rescue team and the Helicopter crews playing a pivotal role in the outcome.

"The Mourne are popular for walking and other outdoor pursuits. The man had been out with a group of friends when they had become separated and he had fallen.” Mountains

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