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24th March 2013 BAD WEATHER KEEPS RESCUE TEAM BUSY
BAD WEATHER KEEPS RESCUE TEAM BUSY
Teesdale & Weardale Search & Mountain Rescue Team have been busy throughout the weekend due to the bad weather. Every day since Friday the team have transported district nurses to visit a critcaly ill patient at a remote farmhouse near Bowes, County Durham. Steve Owers Deputy Team Leader said "The farm was about 1 mile off a minor road and because of the strength of the wind numerous places along the track became blocked with snow which we had to dig out to make progress. Without the help of Durham County Council Highways snowplough driver we would not have been able to assist the nurses."
On Friday evening the Team received a call from the Police to say there were a number of motorists stranded in snow on the road from Brough in Cumbria to Middleton in Teesdale in County Durham. The Teesdale team sent a number of team members along the road to check for the stranded motorists. At the same time Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team set off from the Cumbria side. By midnight a number of motorists had been take to safety in Cumbria. On Saturday afternoon the team were asked by the police to help another motorist stranded on the same road. "Pete Bell, Teesdale Team Leader said "Weather coditions were very bad both on Friday night and Saturday with blowing snow and freezing temperatures. When we arrived at the car it was empty. We were then informed by the Police the occupants had got into another vehicle which had continued along the road and become stuck itself. We sent a party of 3 team members on foot to locate the car backed up with a snow plough and bucket. We were able to pull the car free, turn it round and escort it back to Middleton in Teesdale. It appears that because the A66 is closed a number of drivers are trying to find an alternative route along this road. However this road is a minor road and at a higher elevation so inevitably it is often impassable. The driver are also ignoring road closed signs. This has been a very busy weekend for us but we must thank the great work done by Durhan County Council Highways snowplough drivers. They have been a fantastic assistance to us over the weekend."
Photos:
0868 - Transporting nurses to farm
0874 - Andy Neill TWSMRT, Catherine Ronald District Nurse, Julie Smith District Nurse, Steve Owers TWSMRT
Steve Owers
Press Officer
07876 132030
24/03/13
1900hrs
Notes For Editor Teesdale
& Weardale Search & Mountain Rescue Team are affiliated to the "Mountain
Rescue - England and Wales". We provide a Search and Rescue service throughout
County Durham and beyond primarily for the Police but also for the other emergency
services. All Team members are volunteers and we rely on monies raised by ourselves
as a registered charity to run the Team. Further details regarding our latest
callouts and Team information can be found on our website www.twsmrt.org.uk
