Hot weather warning from search and rescue team

The good weather has meant a busy few days for Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team, which says the heat can impair good decision making.

Volunteer Graham O'Hanlon said: "It has been a busy weekend for many of the North Wales Mountain Rescue Teams. The good weather in some ways reduces the number of people getting lost, but at the same time increases the number of people taking to the hills, and therefore exposed to the probability of trips and slips.

"The heat can also impair good decision making, and ultimately become a serious health issue in its own right. Like poor weather, extreme heat might be a good reason to leave the mountains for another day, and look for some of those shady forest walks instead."

Among the call-outs was one to an injured man on Graig y Bwlch, near Dinas Mawddwy, at Friday lunchtime.

The man, in his 60s, had spent the early part of the morning photographing aircraft flying the "Mach Loop". While descending the crag to return to his car, he slipped on the steep ground and injured his left ankle. Unable to bear weight on the injured limb, he called for assistance.

Team volunteers deployed from Bwlch Oerddrws car park to the casualty's location with a stretcher and medical equipment. The casualty was assessed and his limb splinted prior to being loaded onto a stretcher to be taken back down the mountain.

Shortly before 9pm on the same day the team was made aware of a lost walker on Hen Gerrig, between Lake Vyrnwy and Llandymawddy.

The man in his 20s had started out from Lake Vyrnwy in the morning to walk a planned route. But he became disorientated, and strayed well away from any notable footpaths or his intended route. Having recognised his predicament, he called for help. Team members tracked down the walker and he was checked out and given food and water before being escorted to safety by 2.30am on Saturday.

At around 7.30pm on Saturday, call-handlers from the team were made aware of a missing walker on Cader Idris.

Part of a group, the man had been suffering the effects of heat through the day, and at one point was reported to have become unresponsive. He had apparently recovered sufficiently to attempt to walk off the mountain alone down the Minffordd path, while one of the others from the group returned to their car, parked elsewhere, and planned to meet him at the Minffordd car park.

"As team members were making their way to the incident, news came through that the man had been located, and that no further assistance was required," Mr O'Hanlon said.