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Hill teams go to aid of injured walkers

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By Bob Geddes
Annan and Eskdale
Hill teams go to aid of injured walkers

TWO OF the region's hill rescue teams were in action at the weekend during winter white-out conditions.

A woman was brought to safety by members of Moffat Mountain Rescue on Saturday after being injured on 1700-feet Criffel, near New Abbey.

The team was called out at 2.30pm as snow began to fall widely in the region, particularly on high ground.

There were 14 Moffat team members in attendance and the new HM Coastguard helicopter Rescue 999 was also called out.

But because of the heavy snow and poor visibility, attempts by the helicopter crew to rescue the woman by air had to be called off because of the worsening conditions.

The Mountain Rescue Team then carried the woman down the hill side to safety.

The woman is believed to have slipped, fallen and sustained a fracture to the lower leg and after the lengthy stretcher carry down was transferred the seven miles to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary where she arrived around 7.30pm.

A Moffat team spokesman said: “We have to thank a local lady who stayed with the casualty until the team arrived. The rescue took over 70 man hours in demanding conditions.”

Meanwhile, a woman was airlifted off Cairnsmore of Fleet in the Galloway Hills near Newton Stewart around the same time as a rescue was going on at Criffel.

Police had been informed that a 65-year-old woman was injured with a broken ankle on the hill.

The Galloway Mountain Rescue Team attended in snowy conditions and the Coastguard Rescue 999 was called in to airlift the woman to hospital.

A Galloway team spokesman said: “Five of our personnel were airlifted to the incident site by the helicopter where she was treated and packaged for evacuation.”

The woman was airlifted to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for treatment.

The spokesman added: “This was our first incident working with HM Coastguard Rescue 999 in winter conditions and it went like clockwork.”

 

NEWDESK: 01461-202417

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