72-year-old with chest pains is airlifted off Lugnaquilla
Wednesday March 03 2010
A 72-YEAR-OLD man had to be airlifted off Lugnaquilla by the coast guard after experiencing chest pains while out for a walk.
The gardai requested the assistance of both the Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue team and the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue team at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon after learning a lone elderly walker was having breathing difficulties and felt chest pains. The rescue teams responded by setting up a rescue base at the Baravor car park in the Glenmalure valley.
Team members were rapidly deployed onto the mountain due to the nature of the medical condition and the location of the ill man. They requested assistance from the Irish Coast Guard and scrambled their rescue helicopter call-sign 'Rescue 116' based at Dublin Airport.
The elderly man was able to assist the helicopter in locating him by means of using his mobile phone to talk with the coast guard control in Dublin who helped the helicopter to find his location on the mountain.
The walker, still suffering from chest pains, was airlifted and taken straight to Tallaght Hospital.
