DGWGO Roving Reporter Martin Johnston went along to the Moffat Mountain Rescue Team Open Day today and has put together a wee report and some images.
I had the pleasure of attending the above event on Sunday 25th August 2013.and meeting the dedicated volunteers who make up this vital service.
The team were first set up in 1969 following an incident when a fisherman broke his ankle at Loch Skene and the fisherman was rescued and carried down an icy path in darkness by the late GP Hugh Sinclair, a local Policeman and number of volunteers wearing golfing shoes and wellington boots.
Following this incident there was a meeting held and agreement made that a team should be set up to cater for such eventualities and therefore the Moffat Mountain Rescue Service was born.
Howard Taylor, a keen climber, who lived in the Moffat area at the time, was made Team Leader and quickly set about acquiring equipment and funding and began the painstaking task of teaching complete novices the art of using ropes etc effectively and safely.
From its humble beginnings to present day the team have relied heavily on voluntary donations, is now a registered charity , and owns equipment worth in excess of £75,000
During its time the team have attended in excess of 500 incidents and Mountain Rescue Teams are on constant stand by 24 hours per day every day of the year.
One of the worst incidents the Team had to deal with was in 1988, the aftermath of the Pan Am Flight 103 which blew up over Lockerbie killing 270 people and scattering bodies and belongings over a wide area. The MMRT spent many days searching in the area, many involved encountering very harrowing experiences.
Primary Cover is the Eastern part of Dumfries & Galloway but the team has been called to incidents throughout the entire region and to assist teams in other areas, currently the team has approxiamately 30 members and a number of probationary members currently in training.
Currently the Team Leader is Colin Golphin who can be seen in the pictures below ( hes the one with the beard)
Activities today involved climbing walls, demonstrations of CPR ( Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation), immobilisation of patients for safe transport and all involved seemed to be interested and enjoying theirselves from young to the more mature.
I personally on behalf of DGWGO site would like to praise the the hard work, dedication and professionalism of the volunteers who sacrifice the own their own time and may at times put their own lives at risk in order to save others.
Further information may be found on their Facebook Page or their website www.moffatmrt.org.uk which has links to their Just Giving contributions page if you feel you may like to donate towards this very worthy charity.
MJ.
