At 14.00, Garda from Glenties informed the Team Leader of a deceased person in the Galwolie area and that MR would be needed to extract the body.  At 16.00, the team located the deceased person in the hill and commenced a stretcher carry to the main road.  They arrived at the roadside at approx 18.00 where the local priest said prayers and the funeral director took the body away.

 

While the crew in the ICU were travelling to the scene at Meenaroy (Callout No. 12), they came across a four mile standstill queue of traffic trying to get up Cappry hill in heavy snow.  At this point we were informed by Malin head coast guard that Donegal Town Garda were requesting our assistance here to help the gritter get through and to locate a missing driver who had abandoned his car and was walking through Barnesmore gap toward Donegal town alone.  The missing person was quickly located.

 

By now, the gritter had got up the hill and turned to come back down as the road was completely blocked near the top. The gritter driver informed us there was not enough salt left to give the hill another gritting and it would take approx. 30 minutes to return with more.  Team Charlie were now on scene from the previous callout, so they along with Team Alpha kept the road clear and the traffic from the top side of the hill slowly moving down the hill.   When Bravo arrived on scene, they waited in Ballybofey for the gritter to arrive.  The right-hand lane on the hill was cleared of traffic and Bravo provided an escort for the gritter.  By 22.20hrs the traffic was moving again and the team were stood down to refuel and de-brief.

 

At 20.00, a call came from the Glenties Garda station requesting assistance with a weather related situation on Meenaroy hill where there was a reported 40 cars stuck in 6 inches of snow and the condition of some elderly passengers were a concern.  A full team callout was issued and a team was despatched immediately in Bravo vehicle, with Charlie vehicle following shortly behind.  The ICU headed towards Donegal town to RV with Alpha team.  En-route they came across another weather related incident (see Callout No. 13).  Team Bravo assisted the off duty Gardaí at Meenaroy Hill in clearing approximately 120 vehicles that were blocked by severe snow conditions, and assisted the council gritter in ploughing the snow and gritting the road.  The blockage was cleared at 21.30hrs.  Charlie was re-tasked to Ballybofey and Bravo followed as soon as it was established there was no further danger.  SLMRT and the NWMRT were put on standby in case of another incident in the county.

 

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At 08.30, Garda reported a missing person on the outskirts of Donegal Town.  A full team response was requested. The missing person turned up safe and well shortly after 10.00am and the team was thus stood down.

 

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Due to the continuing big freeze, the team were alerted at 09.00 to an elderly woman from the Meenaleenaghan area of the Glen of Glenties, who was in need of emergency medicine.  This medicine was collected in Ballybofey and promptly taken to the woman in question.

 

A callout was received at 03.47 for a pregnant lady in the Lismonaghan area who had gone into premature labour.  The Ambulance crew were unable to reach her home due to the weather conditions and requested assistance.  A team vehicle was despatched to the scene.  However, neighbours managed to get the lady in question to the hospital.

 

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A callout was received at 22.00 informing that five walkers had not returned to the Errigal Hostel and were feared to be missing in Glenveagh.  A full team call-out was issued.  The walkers were eventually located safe and well at a nearby by pub.

 

A callout was received at 19.00 to assist four people in the St. Johnston area who were stranded in severe snow conditons and unable to reach their homes.  Charlie vehicle was despatched, recovered the four people and got them back to their homes.

 

Due to the on-going severe weather, three separate homes in the Dearachan Mor were in short supply of food and medicine. Contact was made via a team member’s home phone at 10.00, 11.00 and 13.00 for assistance from these three homes.  A list of food and medicine was purchased and delivered to these homes.

 

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The team were contacted at 13.00 by a farmer who was isolated by the severe weather.  He was running low on animal feed and was very concerned about the welfare of his animals. Bravo was loaded with 16 bags of 25kg feed and delivered to said farmer.

 

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At 14.00hrs a call came from the Buncrana Garda requesting assistance for an elderly couple walking near the Pollan Dam near to Carndonagh. The team leader contacted the couple via mobile phone and ascertained that they weren’t walking, but had gone for a drive, got lost and due to the severe snow were now stuck at their position.  Three team members responded in Bravo vehicle and were able to pull this very pleasant couple to safety.

 

Due to the snow and dangerous road conditions, the team received a callout at 09.00 asking them to transport an elderly woman needing non emergency medical assistance from her home in the mountainous region of the Croaghs to a health centre in Glenties and back to her home again.