Kerry Mountain Rescue respond to 27 call outs in 2020

No fatalities were recorded on mountains in Kerry this year

Wed, 30 Dec, 2020 - 16:05

Steven Heaney

The Kerry Mountain Rescue team responded to 27 call outs and assisted 40 people in 2020.

This year’s total is a drop of 11 from last year's.

Kerry Mountain rescue put this decrease in call out numbers down to public health restrictions introduced to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Speaking to Radio Kerry this afternoon, the group’s Public relations officer Colm Burke said that while team had a quiter year than in previous years, they were presented with a whole new set of challenges in 2020.

“We had to implement new training and call out procedures.

Most of the incidents occurred in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, but some were reported on the Dingle and Beara peninsulas. File Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan

“With the transmission of the virus in mind, we had to be cognisant that as well as rescuers contracting the virus from casualties, there was also the potential for rescuers to transmit the virus to casualties, so we had to train for that and just be mindful of it all times.

Mr Burke said the team’s busiest part of the year was the summertime, when coronavirus restrictions were eased.

He said the majority of callouts this year related to accidents and people getting lost. Most of the incidents occurred in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, but some were reported on the Dingle and Beara peninsulas.

During 2020, no fatalities were recorded on mountains in Kerry.

In 2018, seven people died over the course of 2018. Last year, just two fatalities were reported.

Snow and ice warning in place for Cork and five other counties