Storm Arwen: Mountain rescue volunteers deliver medical care and supplies to isolated communities

Mountain rescue teams have been carrying out welfare checks on residents in rural Northumberland.
Mountain rescue volunteers have been supporting rural residents in the wake of Storm Arwen.Mountain rescue volunteers have been supporting rural residents in the wake of Storm Arwen.
Mountain rescue volunteers have been supporting rural residents in the wake of Storm Arwen.

Volunteers from Northumberland National Park Mountain Park Rescue Team and North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team checked on elderly and vulnerable residents who, in some cases, have had no water or power since Storm Arwen on Friday.

“There were residents who required assessment to ensure their medical and care needs were being met,” said Jamie Pattison, a mountain rescue paramedic. “We were happy to provide support to the local health services. We knew that the only way that could happen was if we drove out to them in our team vehicles.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“As well as medical checks, we also delivered water where needed and did a physical check of people’s properties; just to be sure that they could get out if they needed to. In a few cases, we were the first people that they’d seen in a few days.”

Teams of three volunteers, operating in mountain rescue vehicles, checked on 18 exceptional vulnerable residents across the Upper Coquetdal, Holystone, Alwinton and Netherton areas as well as paying visits to residences in the Falston near Kielder and to the Langleeford Valley, Mindrum and Kilham areas near Wooler.

In addition, volunteers were also tasked with checking on residents in the Greenhead and South Tyne areas.

The mountain rescue teams were first activated in the early hours of Saturday morning and have been involved in some form of community resilience since then.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have worked very closely with the multi-agency Tactical Coordination Group (TCG) all weekend,” said Iain Nixon, team leader from Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team.

“Initially our deployments over the weekend were tasked by the emergency services, primarily to help protect lives. However, once the storm passed, the TCG asked us to assist with local resilience. I have to say, we’ve been really impressed with the stoicism and determination we’ve come across in these communities.

“All we would ask is that now the danger has passed and our teams move back to providing an ‘emergency response’, is that people in our rural communities continue to check on those neighbours who are elderly or vulnerable.”

Enjoy our headlines with fewer distractions and sign up to a digital subscription today - fewer ads, faster load times and all of the stories you need.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue supporting our communities for generations to come.

Click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu to find out more and sign up.