It’s Friday night. I’ve gone to bed after studying hard ready for my Mountain Rescue “Casualty Care” course this weekend (our medical qualification). I’m fast asleep when my pager goes off…
*sigh*
So it’s off we go, get dressed and head out the door – it’s just gone 0230. This is an urgent search for a missing woman on the Gower. I get to base and after a quick conversation with the IC, they head off and I get base ready for the next vehicle. It’s all systems go as we drive the hour or so down to the Gower and I’m already tired as Lynfa and I set up the control vehicle. I’m allocated to Caroline and her dog Keeper as their navigator and we spend the rest of the night searching the clifftops looking for this woman. We enjoy the sight of a beautiful sunrise over the Gower, popping back into control every now and again, until we finish our area and head off for breakfast. By this time the Coastguard is here as well, along with members of every team in south Wales.
As we’re at breakfast thinking about the people on the Casualty Care course and how we’d love to be there, the news comes through – she’s been found. So we finish our breakfast and head back to base where the other attendees await our arrival. It’s about 1200 and we’re 3 hours late – but it’s just another night for Mountain Rescue.