KMRT Callout Scroll 1980-1989
Please click on a year, or use the scrollbar to see
the full list.
1980 1981
1982 1983 1984
1985 1986 1987
1988 1989
If you are aware of any further details of any of these
callouts, particularly those in the early years, please send an
e-mail detailing what you
know. This would assist us greatly in 'filling in the blanks'.
Thank you!
January 1980. Mangerton. Search.
A local scout got lost descending from the summit.
During a preliminary search he was located by National Park staff
near Torc.
June 1980. Mangerton. Rescue.
A Scottish walker got stuck on a ledge while attempting
to descend into the Horses Glen. He was winched to safety by an
Air Corps helicopter.
July 1980. Inch. Fatality (non-mountain).
The Team co-ordinated the recovery of the body of a
local youth who fell to the base of a sea cliff.
March 1981. Purple Mountain. Fatality.
A German student failed to return from a solo walk
in the area. A week long search involving the Team, National Park
staff, Gardaí, Air Corps, other MR Teams and local volunteers
fails to find anything. His body was eventually found near the
Eagle's Nest seven weeks later.
July 1981. Derrymore. Fatality (non-mountain).
The body of an FCA member was located on the beach.
The Team's search expertise was made available to the army.
March 1982. Slea Head. Assistance.
The Ranga, a Spanish frigate, ran into rocks in high
seas. The Team were requested to assist in the recovery of the
crew. On arrival, it was found that an RAF helicopter along with
some local rescue personnel had winched the crew to safety.
April 1982. Gap of Dunloe. Fatality.
A boy separated from his party and fell 600 feet to
his death down the East face of Bull Mountain. The body was located
early on the second day of the search by Team members and was
winched out by the Air Corps.
June 1982. Carrauntoohil. Rescue.
Two Dublin teachers lost their way descending from
the summit and one became trapped on a ledge above Curraghmore.
The Team carried out a cliff evacuation at 3.00am.
August 1982. Black Valley. Search.
A search was carried out for the owner of an unattended
car. A Team member located the man uninjured in the Bridia Valley.
August 1982. Carrauntoohil. Search.
Following the sighting of a survival bag by a local
man near Curraghmore, the Team were requested to investigate.
At first light it was found to be empty.
May 1983. Brandon. Fatality.
A Dingle nun fell on the West slope of Gearhane whilst
on pilgrimage. The Team, in conjunction with the Air Corps helicopter,
recovered her body at daybreak.
2nd July 1983. Carrauntoohil (Coomloughra). Search.
A sheep farmer from Breanlee was located uninjured
after an all night search. He had spent a cold night on the summit
in fog.
10th January 1984. Carrauntoohil. Search.
A Cork man and his two sons had not returned from the
mountain and a search was launched. During an all night search
by an advance party vocal contact was made in the Curraghmore
area but at first light they fled from the hill ahead of Team
members (no explanation given).
August 1984. Carrauntoohil. Search.
An elderly English lady was located cold and weak near
Lough Cailli at daybreak after her climb the previous day.
16th September 1984. Shehy/Glena. Search.
A local man was benighted in Glena after losing his
way. An intensive search located him uninjured.
October 1984. Lough Brin. Search.
A local lady missing from her home was located at daybreak
in the valley.
November 1985. Inch. Rescue.
A local girl was involved in a rockfall and became
pinned in the face of an incoming tide. The boulder trapping her
leg was was removed carefully and she was evacuated in the dark.
31st December 1985. Kinsale. Fatality (non-mountain).
The body of a man was recovered in the dark from his
car at the base of the 300 foot cliffs of the Old Head. Light
from the Ballycotton lifeboat (which was anchored offshore) was
used during the operation.
22nd February 1986. Carrauntoohil. Rescue.
Three experienced climbers from Cork MC were avalanched
some 500 feet from the upper step of Curved Gully, but managed
to drag themselves to Cummeenoughter lake. The Team were alerted
late in the evening and an advance party administered fist aid
shortly after midnight. All three were stretchered down the frozen
waterfall to Cummeen Lar, from where they were evacuated by helicopter
at first light.
23rd February 1986. McGillycuddy Reeks. Fatality.
A walker fell to her death whilst descending the ice-covered
Northern slope of Cnoc na Toinne. The Team were alerted shortly
after returning from the previous callout and recovered the body
as darkness fell.
21st June 1986. Brandon. Fatality.
A member of Limerick MC fell to his death whilst being
assisted by his companions over a step on the Faha ridge. The
Team recovered the body at first light after a cold bivouac.
21st June 1986. Brandon. Rescue.
One of the companions of the dead man (see above) spent
the night on a ledge after witnessing the accident, and was lowered
to safety.
December 1986. Molls Gap. Rescue.
A Team member fell 30 feet during a training exercise
and suffered spinal injuries. The Team administered first aid
and evacuated him to hospital.
2nd January 1987. Brandon. Alert.
The Team were alerted after people in Cloghane interpreted
lights seen on the hill as an SOS. These transpired to be five
Team members returning from a late climb.
5th May 1987. Baurearagh. Search.
An extensive search in conjunction with the Air Corps
helicopter was carried out for a local sheep farmer along the
Caha mountains. He later turned up in Adrigole, having been benighted.
May 1987. McGillycuddy Reeks. Fatality.
A hillwalker from Cork became separated from his party
and fell whilst descending a steep gully south of Lough Cailli.
A Team member who was camping in the area administered first aid
before the rest of the Team arrived to carry out a speedy evacuation
to an awaiting ambulance. The casualty died en route to hospital.
31st May 1987. Mangerton. Alert.
The Team were alerted after a party of Killarney walkers
went missing in fog, and a preliminary search was carried out.
The walkers were later located after getting lost in the fog.
30th December 1987. McGillycuddy Reeks. Fatality.
A Limerick woman was swept away whilst attempting to
cross the swollen Gaddagh River. The Team were alerted late in
the evening and searched along the river until midnight. At first
light a major search was initiated and co-ordinated by the Team,
involving locals, Civil Defence, Gardaí and several visiting
adventure clubs. Her body was located downstream and was airlifted
out.
23rd January 1988. Baurtregaum. Search.
An AnOige group consisting of sixty people lost their
way in fog, and the Team carried out a preliminary search until
midnight. At first light the search resumed with the help of locals
and the Tralee MC, and the group were located late in the morning
on their way home.
6th March 1988. Carrauntoohil. Assistance.
The Team were requested to escort four Tralee women
down from Cummeenoughter, after they had ascended Curved Gully
and became frightened during their descent of Brother O'Shea's
Gully. Evacuation began at first light.
9th April 1988. McGillycuddy Reeks. Rescue.
A hillwalker from Northern Ireland suffered exhaustion
whilst descending from Caher. The Team, assisted by his companions,
stretchered him off.
16th June 1988. Torc. Assistance.
A local outdoor education instructor fell whilst swanaboreing.
He suffered minor injuries and was able to walk out with assistance.
27th August 1988. Purple Mountain. Alert.
An English man failed to arrive at Dinis to meet his
girlfriend as arranged, after setting out from the Gap of Dunloe
in the morning. A preliminary search was carried out and the man
turned up at 1.00am.
6th September 1988. Brandon. Alert.
A French walker lost his way on descending the Faha
ridge, and his companion raised the alarm. The missing man turned
up soon afterwards.
16th September 1988. Carrauntoohil. Rescue.
Following two separate reports of shouts for help being
heard high on the north face, an advance party made vocal and
visual contact with two German climbers trapped on a precipitous
ledge. Three Team members reached them before dawn and they were
escorted to safety.
23rd September 1988. Purple Mountain. Search.
An English walker failed to turn up at Dinis after
setting out from the Gap of Dunloe earlier. The Team were alerted
at 3.00am, and carried out a preliminary search in conjunction
with the Gardaí. At first light National Park staff joined
the search (including a search of the lakeshore by boat). The
missing man was located in the Black Valley before midday.
29th December 1988. Purple Mountain. Search.
Three local venture scouts lost their way in the fog
and the Team initiated two route searches after having been alerted
before midnight. The boys were located uninjured in Coomcloghane
the following morning.
3rd January 1989. Carrauntoohil. Search.
The Team were alerted before midnight after four Limerick
men lost their way on the mountain. A preliminary search was carried
out in conjunction with the Gardaí. The following morning
the group turned up in the Black Valley, one of them having sustained
some minor injuries in a fall.
3rd January 1989. Carrauntoohil. Alert.
The Team were alerted by Gardaí late in the
evening after reports of shouts being heard in the Coomloughra
area. Two Team members investigated using lights and loud hailers,
but found nothing. The reported shouts transpired to have been
a visiting walker searching for his German Shepherd dog, which
was later shot on Purple Mountain after killing several sheep.
13th January 1989. Valentia Island. Search.
The Team were requested to assist other emergency services
in a search operation off Beginish Island following the break-up
of a Spanish trawler. The extensive air, land and sea search for
the three missing crew continued for two days, during which time
one body was located by the Valentia lifeboat.
26th February 1989. Carrauntoohil. Assistance.
Concern from friends and Team members about the well-being
of four UCD students who were camped during a period of exceptionally
heavy snowfall prompted the Team to carry out a brief search.
The four were located camped under deep drifts in Cummeenoughter
and were escorted down.
25th May 1989. Brandon. Fatality.
The Team were alerted after a 73 year old German man
who had been camping in the hills for two days failed to meet
up with his family in Cloghane. After four days of searching over
a wide area, assisted by the Air Corps and local sheep farmers,
his body was located on the cliffs above Lough Avornane.
18th June 1989. Carrauntoohil. Alert.
Four army personnel became trapped on a ledge whilst
attempting to climb the north east ridge (Primroses). The Team
were alerted by Gardaí and located the group. The group
shouted that all was fine and retreated from the climb the following
morning.
July 1989. Gap of Dunloe. Rescue.
An inexperienced walker became trapped on a ledge and
shouted for help. The Team roped the person to safety.
1st August 1989. Lickeen. Assistance.
Team personnel assisted in the evacuation of a local
man injured on the nearby hills.
2nd August 1989. Gap of Dunloe. Rescue.
An inexperienced walker fell 100 feet onto a ledge
whilst descending the north face of Bull Mountain, and luckily
escaped injury. The Team were alerted following shouts for help
and lowered him 300 feet to safety.
10th September 1989. Brandon. Alert.
The Team were alerted following the late return of
a local parish priest from his walk up Masatiompan.
12th September 1989. Tomies. Search.
A boy became lost walking in Tomies wood. He was located
on the lakeshore following a search.
23rd September 1989. Carrauntoohil. Fatality.
The Team were alerted after an English walker failed
to return to his car at Mealis. After an initial search of the
most likely areas proved fruitless, the search was extended to
involve the Civil Defence, Gardaí, SARDA dogs from England,
Wales and Northern Ireland, the Air Corps and other local groups.
The extended search covered an area from Lough Acoose to the Gap
of Dunloe and continued for 10 days, after which time it was officially
called off, although many Team members continued searching at
weekends. The remains were finally located by the Team during a search
dog training session in April 1990 and were immediately
evacuated to awaiting Gardaí.
October 1989. Portmagee. Fatality (non-mountain).
The body of a local girl was recovered from the base
of a 250 foot high sea cliff at Faillcalragh.
December 1989. Killarney. Rescue.
Team personnel responded to a request to evacuate a
construction worker who suffered spinal injuries following a fall
at a town building site.
