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Main Boards => News and Articles => Topic started by: Bhod on 14:51:40, 02/08/17

Title: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Bhod on 14:51:40, 02/08/17
Major incident in the Mourne Mountains apparently - http://www.itv.com/news/utv/update/2017-08-02/major-emergency-response-after-group-gets-into-difficulty-in-mourne-mountains/
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Penygadair on 15:31:23, 02/08/17
Sounds nasty.


Wonder if Henryb will be able to give us more information on terrain and difficulties.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Penygadair on 18:15:05, 02/08/17
I just read the detail of this incident on Daily Mail Online


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4753590/Major-incident-declared-British-mountain-range.html


Some of the readers comments (at the foot) are disgusting and beyond belief. What is wrong with some people today?
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:28:09, 02/08/17
Hmmm? Daily Mail? I'll just check the details in the Guardian.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Percy on 18:33:14, 02/08/17
I just read the detail of this incident on Daily Mail Online


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4753590/Major-incident-declared-British-mountain-range.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4753590/Major-incident-declared-British-mountain-range.html)


Some of the readers comments (at the foot) are disgusting and beyond belief. What is wrong with some people today?
They read the Daily Mail?
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: April on 18:35:40, 02/08/17
I just read the detail of this incident on Daily Mail Online
Some of the readers comments (at the foot) are disgusting and beyond belief. What is wrong with some people today?

Well it is the Daily Mail, what else can you expect?  ;)  Some of the comments were from normal people, I wonder why they were on the Mail Online?  ;)  :D

I am pleased they are all safe and accounted for, its just been on the BBC news.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:37:45, 02/08/17
Very interesting how each of the newspapers and BBC online writes about this matter. Reading through all of them suggests it was a problem obviously, but how big a problem, I'm not sure? The Irish authorities seemed to have it well under control very quickly.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:39:51, 02/08/17
Reading the comment sections is the best bit in all the newspapers, especially 3 of them in particular! Better than all the real news and the fake news put together!
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Penygadair on 18:52:06, 02/08/17
Well it is the Daily Mail, what else can you expect?  ;)  Some of the comments were from normal people, I wonder why they were on the Mail Online?  ;) :D


Normal people. Mail Onine. Doesn't equate.   :o :o
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Ridge on 19:30:48, 02/08/17
I decided not to read the comments, they will only annoy me.


I guess it was a major incident because of the numbers involved.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: tonyk on 21:08:49, 02/08/17
 Some of the comments are quite funny:"People need to be more aware of the dangers of Globull Warming" ;D

 

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Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Pitboot on 08:05:40, 03/08/17
I can only surmise as an outsider not in possession of all the facts that the "leaders" planned a safe and enjoyable trip for the cadets, adhering to all of the safety rules laid down by the Army Cadet Force.


However, my own experience of being an officer in the ACF leads me to think that maybe a call from a mobile phone to mummy back in Cleveland could have caused some of this over reaction, I hope I'm wrong.


It's always difficult leading and supervising young people out in the wilds, especially as most of them will have had little experience of the great outdoors. Add to this the added responsibility of being in loco parentis, H&S will have been uppermost in the minds of those in charge, and you soon have a crisis being made out of a little drama.


And nobody died.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: April on 08:58:57, 03/08/17
The BBC report said the conditions were treacherous Pitboot, 16 had hypothermia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40804343



Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: Ridge on 09:09:53, 03/08/17
From what I've seen, and none of us will ever know all the facts, it looks to me like the leaders did the right thing.


With a large number of young people in worsening conditions, some starting to suffer, they put up their tents, called for help and stayed put.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: archaeoroutes on 19:36:44, 03/08/17
Hmm. Obviously, what I'm about to say is from the outside and based on the 'facts' in the newspapers. I am heavily involved with cadet forces adventurous training, so do know the rules and procedures that should be followed.

My first thought after seeing they were now OK was the dreaded 'ratios'. This is 1:6 (or 1:8 if the members hold summer mountain proficiency or equivalent). The papers quote between 7 and 10 adults to 63 cadets. That would appear to put them outside the ratios, even if all adults were qualified (ML etc.) I am also puzzled that they appear to have been together, rather than moving as separate groups (perhaps they came together due to the issues).
My second thought was to do with the predictability of the weather, and I do not know what the forecasts were. Nor do I know how well equipped they were.

On seeing more details, I can see a possible timeline. I am guessing that the ankle injuries caused them to be unexpectedly stopped and exposed. Staff made the precautionary call to abort the trek and request help getting them to safety. That sounds like a sensible thing.

Probably the most significant quote:
"the group leaders had done a good job in protecting the teenagers." - medical director of the NI Ambulance Service

So, it seems possible that they were technically operating outside of the rules but made a good call on the ground.
Title: Re: Major "incident" in the Mourne Mountains
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:57:05, 03/08/17
The view from the pub, Wimps! Wasting public money, Stupid to do it in the first place! They should have gone to Disney world, much more interesting, etc. All from people who I know are horrified by the idea of venturing outside of their comfort zone, who are only interested in lying in the sun and drinking from dawn until dusk and I suspect have 'never' visited the countryside in their lives! Still, all very interesting to listen to!