Climber injured in fall on Ireland’s highest mountain

Three climbers had to be rescued from near the top of Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain overnight after one climber took a fall on Howling Ridge, shortly before midnight.

The three night climbers included a Polish man and woman and an Irish woman. A gust of wind may have caught the man, who was roped. He was injured but an advance rescue party which reached them at 3am was able to walk him down the mountain and a waiting ambulance took him to Univeristy Hospital Kerry at 7am.

There have been five emergency call outs to the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT) since Tuesday, St Stephen’s Day, all of them to Carrauntoohil which is under heavy snow.

Seven people have been brought to safety in the period, bringing to 44 the number of people assisted by the local voluntary team so far in 2017.

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Amid growing concern for the safety of the local team, who have had to brave dangerous, white out and windy conditions on the snow-capped peaks all during Christmas, the mayor of Kerry John Sheahan is calling for a minimum financial charge from all those rescued.

There were plenty of walks to do around Killarney without having to take risks, Cllr Sheahan ( FG) said.

“It’s not like people are short of walks. These are risk takers and if they require services they should have to pay for them,” said Mr Sheahan, who is to move a formal council motion .

Alan Wallace, spokesman for the rescuers , said the team receives a quarter of its circa €80,000 annual costs from the State. The rest comes from local companies and from walking clubs. Most, though not all, of those rescued contributed and some people continued to support the team many years later, he said.

Each call out was not costed, and Mr Wallace said the costs were insurance, equipment and vehicles. Most training was in-house and all effort voluntary meant costs were kept at a minimum. However, there would have been damage to equipment this week and this would have to be replaced.

The team was cautious about mandatory charging.

Ireland and England have a tradition of voluntary mountain rescue, unlike continental Europe. While KMRT needed donations, people should not hesitate to call the team if lost or in trouble – as delay would only increase the danger for everyone.