THE SUNNY WEATHER over the past week encouraged people to go hiking, cycling and engage in other outdoor activities.
The rise in activity, however, also spelled a busy period for emergency services and rescue teams in popular areas. Mountain Rescue in Wicklow was called out on three separate operations in just three days.
Yesterday evening, the Dublin & Wicklow and the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue teams were requested by the HSE ambulance to help its staff with a serious cycling accident in the Wicklow mountains.
At about 8.30pm, a 32-year-old had been descending from the communication masts on Kippure with friends on a training spin. Halfway down the steep descent, he lost control of his bicycle on the poor surface and crashed into an embankment. Witnesses said he was travelling with enough speed to be thrown over the embankment, landing in a small steep gully. He sustained serious injuries and was unable to move, fellow cyclists said.
When emergency services were contacted and details of his location given, the ambulance said it required the assistance of Mountain Rescue, whose medics were first on the scene. They moved him to a more accessible location for the HSE ambulance crew. Both services then provided extensive treatment on the man before transferring him to hospital.
The operation was the third for the volunteer crews in as many days. On Monday afternoon, three teenagers were rescued from Glendalough after sustaining leg injuries while on a hike together. On Sunday, the Gardaí requested their expertise to help search a mountainous area for a missing person.
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