Three overlapping incidents across north and mid Wales made for a busy Saturday for Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team.

Shortly before 2pm on Saturday, 7 October, the team received a request from Brecon Mountain Rescue Team to assist them in reaching an injured mountain biker at the Bwlch Nant yr Arian trail-centre - a significant drive for both teams.

The closest available volunteers deployed directly to the scene and were able to assist Welsh Ambulance Service crews attending the injured woman.

Shortly before 4pm the team was called to help a walker with an ankle injury at the head of Lake Vyrnwy, again a significant drive for most of the team.

Team vehicles and volunteers were dispatched to the location, and with some personnel already committed to the incident at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, a request for support was placed with South Snowdonia Search and Rescue Team (SSSRT) to bolster numbers.

At around 4.30pm, with Aberdyfi and SSSRT vehicles and available volunteers underway to Lake Vyrnwy, call-handlers were made aware of a walker with an injured ankle on Cader Idris. It looked like the injured woman on Cader might be in for a long wait, but fortunately the first incident of the day was closing down, freeing up both Aberdyfi volunteers, and those from Brecon MRT who kindly diverted from their long journey home to provide further assistance.

A coastguard helicopter en route to the casualty at Lake Vyrnwy was able to divert to Cader Idris to provide a quick rescue, delivering the casualty to the landing zone at the foot of the mountain before continuing onwards to lake Vyrnwy.

“It is highly unusual for us to have three overlapping incidents, and being situated in the farthest corners of our area of operation only served to exacerbate the situation,” said team spokesperson Graham O'Hanlon.

The Lake Vyrnwy rescue
The Lake Vyrnwy rescue (Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team)

“Whilst it is never comfortable to feel like your resources are starting to be spread too thinly, it is testament to the organisation and training of mountain rescue teams around the UK that we can back-fill and seamlessly support each other when these situations do arise. It is impressive to see that a volunteer organisation has this degree of resilience.”