I bring you some very disturbing news from Mountain Rescue.
A few years ago search and rescue was privaisted - for various reasons - and Bristow Helicopters got the contract. However, all is not well and four mountain rescue teams have issued a statement criticising the contract. The contents of the letter are below and it is a long letter but to summarize:
1. Bristow Helicopters are contracted to rescue people in distress.
Mountain rescue volunteers are not in distress, even if that means a four hour walk back to the car park from the Cairngorm Plateau in a storm. Previously RAF / army / RN helicopter would take them off. From the Cairngorm plateau to a car park in Aviemore in a helicopter takes less than 5 minutes.
2. A body is not a person in distress. Therefore Bristow helicopters are not taking them off the mountains, meaning mountain rescue have to carry them for miles and down several thousand feet.
I have been on the Cairngorm plateau and it is a quite incredible place to be, with alpine plants, ptarmigan and Arctic tundra. I cannot get over my anger and fury over what has gone on. I don't know what to say or do right now but I am really angry.
The letter;
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news...tract/0018767/
I volunteer with a Lowland Search and Rescue team. We get called out at least once a week and we search for despondents, Alzheimers patients etc. What is going on with mountain rescue right now winds me up in a way that I can't get over to you. But what can I do?
A few years ago search and rescue was privaisted - for various reasons - and Bristow Helicopters got the contract. However, all is not well and four mountain rescue teams have issued a statement criticising the contract. The contents of the letter are below and it is a long letter but to summarize:
1. Bristow Helicopters are contracted to rescue people in distress.
Mountain rescue volunteers are not in distress, even if that means a four hour walk back to the car park from the Cairngorm Plateau in a storm. Previously RAF / army / RN helicopter would take them off. From the Cairngorm plateau to a car park in Aviemore in a helicopter takes less than 5 minutes.
2. A body is not a person in distress. Therefore Bristow helicopters are not taking them off the mountains, meaning mountain rescue have to carry them for miles and down several thousand feet.
I have been on the Cairngorm plateau and it is a quite incredible place to be, with alpine plants, ptarmigan and Arctic tundra. I cannot get over my anger and fury over what has gone on. I don't know what to say or do right now but I am really angry.
The letter;
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news...tract/0018767/
I volunteer with a Lowland Search and Rescue team. We get called out at least once a week and we search for despondents, Alzheimers patients etc. What is going on with mountain rescue right now winds me up in a way that I can't get over to you. But what can I do?
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