Close call remembered at opening of new rescue HQ
Deirdre Creagh and Robert Wade of Cork had fallen about 100ft, as they descended from Carrantuohill, on August 13 and both were injured.
They were brought to safety in a nine-hour operation involving up to 30 rescue team members. It was their first accident in Ireland in 20 years of mountaineering and it occurred in slippery conditions as they crossed a deep ravine.
Luckily, Geraldine Maybury and John Tuohy, both from Kenmare, were coming on behind.
Geraldine raised the alarm by mobile phone.
All four were present at yesterday’s opening of a new KMRT headquarters, in Killarney by Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue.
Deirdre and Robert, who intend to return to the mountains shortly, described their ordeal as a nightmare and believe they might have died but for the efforts of the team to bring them to safety in the darkness.
Costing €100,000 and located in the grounds of Killarney garda station, the new facility is the first purpose-built mountain rescue HQ in the country.
Formed in 1966, after a double tragedy on Carrantuohill, the team is now the country’s busiest and so far this year, there have been 18 call-outs.
Thirty trained volunteer members, all experienced mountaineers, cover the south west including the Beara, Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas.
