Mourne Mountains Rescue Team assist camper who woke cut off from several approaches by swollen rivers

The Mourne Mountains Rescue Team have shared footage of the wet conditions they were faced with when they were called out to assist a walker on Sunday October 19. The team say that at 10:41 they were asked via the police to assist a walker unable to cross swollen rivers in the Annalong Valley to get off the hill. They say that the walker had camped in the valley overnight. Expecting heavy rain, but not accounting for the impact of flooded rivers, the camper woke to find they were cut off from several approaches. The rescuers say the camper was wet, cold and concerned about navigating accurately in the conditions and had rightly sought help. The team response was able to walk in from the Ben Crom Valley, reach the camper, and escort them out avoiding river crossings. Five members responded with others on standby and the team stood down at 16:00. The Mourne Mountains Rescue Team said: “Heavy rain can have an impact beyond the obvious, including on what is safe and accessible when flooding occurs. Looking ahead to how an area may change due to incoming weather can help avoid a bad experience.”