Latest Discovery to the rescue

Ireland’s South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) have been using Land Rovers for twenty years now and they recently completed their landmark 500th rescue using a specially-prepared  latest Discovery.

Ireland’s South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) have been using Land Rovers for twenty years now         

The above becomes even more relevant as travel restrictions are lifted in Ireland. Locals and visitors will want to take advantage of the long summer days by spending as much time as possible in the countryside and mountains. SEMRA has carried out over 100 rescue operations in the last 3 years and their pair of Land Rovers are vital members of the rescue team. SEMRA provides the only mountain search and rescue service in the south east of Ireland and they cover one of the largest mountain areas in all of Ireland and the UK.

Why the latest Discovery? For a start the volunteers will be warm and comfortable and you can fit up to seven of them into it. When working in the mountains you want something that is highly capable of course. If a patient needs to be transported to a hospital, the 2^nd and 3^rd row seats can fold flat and a stretcher will comfortably fit into the back.

A stretcher fits into the back no problem

What modifications have been carried out to make the Discovery fit for mountain rescue purpose? For starters it has a very comprehensive First Aid Kit. It also has strong emergency lights, additional interior lights, rear storage nets and a roof box. Other than that, this is a fairly standard Discovery. It is going to work for its fuel as there is no such thing as a day off when it comes to mountain search and rescue operations across the Galtee, Knockmealdown, Comeragh and Blackstairs mountains. We think SEMRA team leader Terry Brophy might just be a Discovery fan. “There is no other service available to go up the mountains, but we have the skills, the training and the vehicles to do it. The great thing about the Discovery is that we can fit a stretcher in the back with the medic seated alongside. Land Rovers are synonymous with mountain rescue in the UK and Ireland and there’s a reason for that – they are by far the best vehicles available.”

The latest Discovery is capable and comfortable

Thanks to Terrain Response 2 the new Discovery is not that hard to drive off-road. Liz Brown, a SEMRA volunteer confirms that the Discovery is the perfect partner on a rainy day in the mountains. “The weather here can change in a heartbeat. What starts as a lovely day can turn into a whiteout in no time and that’s when people get into trouble. But when people see a Land Rover with us, they know there are two things they can count on.”

SEMRA relies on volunteers and their two Land Rovers

Land Rovers have always been used to help people in distress due to their ‘go anywhere’ capability. So, if walking in the south east Irish mountains and you do see SEMRA’s Discovery, don’t forget to wave and say thank you.  To see the SEMRA team in action during a live training rescue, click here: https://youtu.be/jsevD26TiDU 

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