Seriously injured paraglider airlifted to hospital from Knockmealdown Mountains

A seriously injured paraglider and lost walkers were rescued from the Comeragh, Knockmealdown and Galtee mountain ranges in south Tipperary and just over the county border on Sunday.

It was a busy day for the South Eastern Mountain Rescue team.

SEMRA was first called out to rescue a number of walkers lost on the Coumshingaun Loop of the Comeraghs near Kilclooney Woods yesterday afternoon. Team members arrived at Kilclooney Woods at 3.55pm while others members arrived at Mahon Falls shortly afterwards and made their way up that side of the mountains. They found the walkers and escorted down off the moutnain to Mahon Falls car park.

While this rescue operation was underway, SEMRA received two more rescue call outs.

In the Knockmealdowns, the team was called to assist the Coastguard helicopter 117 with the rescue of a seriously injured paraglider at 4.43pm. Additional team members made their way to Bay Lough in the Vee and by 5.04pm, a local member of the rescue team had reached the casualty and the Coastguard helicopter was hovering overhead.

“An off-duty doctor provided initial medical treatment to the seriously injured casualty as Coast Guard R117 personnel and a National Ambulance Service (NAS) paramedic also arrived on scene and provided further medical attention.”

The casualty was placed ona stretcher and winched on board the helicopters and airlifted to hospital.

The third call out was to rescue a lost walker on the Galtee Mountains, which the team received from An Garda Siochana at 5.19pm on Sunday.

An approximate location for the lost walker was identified and available SEMRA members made their way to Glencush carpark. The first SEMRA members on site, made their way up the hill and came across a member of the lost walker's party.

This walker gave directions to where the lost walker was located. SEMRA members located the walker and directed them towards the car park and the walker made their own way down off the hill.

SEMRA personnel met the walker at the carpark and checked that they were okay. All SEMRA members were stood down and off the three mountains by 6.55pm.