Hill walkers rescued from gully

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6216309.stm

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Two hill walkers have been rescued by the emergency services after falling into a deep gully near Lower Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.

The Coastguard, Mountain Rescue team and Fire Service were called after police officers could not get close enough to the trapped man and woman.

The walkers were starting to show signs of hypothermia when the rescuers arrived on the cliff area at Navaar.

The woman had suffered abdominal and knee injuries.

The Coastguard said the couple were about 20 minutes walk over rough terrain from the car park.

Two police officers on the scene were unable to get closer than a few metres to the casualties.

Both were very cold and a local farmer provided some thermal blankets to keep them warm.

Due to the position of the walkers, the terrain and poor visibility, a helicopter could not be used.

The rescue services were able to free the pair and take them to a waiting ambulance.

John Hope of Belfast Coastguard Watch said fortunately the couple were able to alert police by mobile phone.

"In the absence of any possibility of an effective air recovery due to inclement weather conditions, we immediately alerted the Coastguard Rescue Team.

"With assistance from our colleagues in the Fire and Rescue Service and Mountain Rescue, the combined recovery operation seen a swift evacuation to hospital for these two people who were beginning to show signs of mild hypothermia."