Latest Incident: 10/12/24 The Team's Canoe section were deployed to search the river Tees as part of the continued search for the missing female from Darlington. Three paddlers... More details
14th September 2013 MOUNTAIN RESCUE INVOLVED IN DRAMATIC RIVER RESCUE
Teesdale & Weardale Search & Mountain Rescue Team where called out this evening (Saturday) along with fire, police and ambulance to a report of a man who had fallen into the River Tees at Barnard Castle, Co Durham. Police officers were first on the scene at an old mill cottage adjacent to the river and found that an elderly man had fallen from a conservatory roof over 20ft into the River Tees and was clinging to a rock. They threw him a life belt and secured it to fencing but due to the mans position and injuries they were unable to get him out of the water.
On arrival of the Fire Service, Ambulance and Mountain Rescue it was decided that they would concentrate on setting up a rope hauling system to lift the man the 20ft to safety while the fire service swiftwater rescue team would attempt a boat based rescue. Richard Warne technical lead for mountain rescue said "In conjunction with fire and ambulance officers who were in the water supporting the casualty we assembled a vertical hauling system. Because of the mans injuries we needed to secure him in a stretcher in the water. We then raised him to the bank where he was assessed by paramedics and transported to hospital by Air Ambulance. All 4 services worked very well together to carry out a difficult but successful rescue within just over an hour of the call."
Steve Owers
Press Officer
07876 132030
14/09/13
2140hrs
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
