Copter cover ‘risking rescue team’s lives’

Equipment and body retrieval policy ‘shows disregard for our safety’

SCOTLAND’S busiest rescuers have launched a savage attack on a “casual disregard” for their safety in an extraordinary row over helicopters, amid claims it “potentially puts lives at risk”.

In a joint statement, the Glencoe, Tayside, Lochaber and Cairngorm teams claimed they are seen as “expendable” with rescue co-ordinators repeatedly refusing to give them help in body retrieval, or in getting crews and equipment off the hill after operations.

They claim they have been forced to go public with their fears after rebuffs from co-ordinators – including a letter from a junior government minister that they say accused them of laziness.

The statement read: “The teams simply object to being apparently seen as expendable by the agencies.”

Scotland’s busiest mountain rescue teams have hit out at what they call a “casual disregard” for their safety over the use of helicopters in search operations.

Members of Glencoe, Tayside, Lochaber and Cairngorm teams released a joint statement claiming they are repeatedly denied help in retrieving bodies from the hills because dead people are not “persons in distress”.

They also attacked rescue co-ordinators, who they refer to as “agencies”, for what they believe to be an increasing unwillingness to help get crew and their gear safely back to base after an operation.

One team leader warned that lives were “potentially at risk” and said he feared only the serious injury or death of a colleague would make those who co-ordinate resources sit up and take notice.

It is claimed the problems started when a new contract meant Coastguard helicopters replaced military craft in the national search and rescue network, a contract signed in 2013.

The teams – known collectively as iSMR (independent Scottish Mountain Rescue) – say they have been forced to speak publicly because they have been ignored or rebuffed by officials – most notably by a junior minister who they claim may have accused them of laziness.

The joint statement reads: “As the teams prepare to undertake difficult and potentially dangerous rescues in such winter conditions the teams have decided that they can no longer accept an apparent casual disregard for the safety of the volunteers shown by the agencies co-ordinating search and rescue helicopter operations.

“The team’s volunteers are well trained, well equipped, very capable and robust but they are not invincible.

“The teams in iSMR simply object to being apparently seen as expendable by the agencies.”

The statement goes on to reassure the public that they will continue to “search for, rescue and recover your loved ones, despite the apparent lack of support from certain agencies”.

“It’s going to take a rescue team member getting injured”

Last night Al Gilmour, chairman of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, added: “I do fear it is going to take a rescue team member getting injured or killed before agencies will then say they see what we are talking about, but we do need discussion.

“Potentially lives are at risk if we are using that resource to deal with a fatality and having to walk a body off the hill.”

The iSMR were at pains to make clear that any criticism “is aimed purely at the coordination of the service”.

Those involved in co-ordinating search and rescue helicopter operations include the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Aeronautical Response Coordination Centre, the UK Government’s Department for Transport and Police Scotland.

The MCA said: “While the recovery of bodies positively confirmed as deceased is not strictly speaking a search and rescue mission, it is a mission HM Coastguard may support under some circumstances.

“Our crews…will attempt to assist the recovery of a dead body if the level of risk to the crews and their passengers…is not considered to be too great.

“This is a dynamic risk assessment conducted on a case-by-case basis taking into account the level of risk.

“Search and rescue helicopters should not routinely be required to clear the hill as fundamentally, a mountain rescue (MR) team must be able to operate independently and without helicopter support as conditions on the day might mean that our helicopters are simply unable to reach a team on the hill.

“However, in circumstances where an MR team are on a rescue and where there is a clear risk to the MR team, the helicopter can be asked to remove them from the area to a place of safety.”

Mr Gilmour added: “We would like it written into the contract that a rescue isn’t over until all members are back at base.

“I think there needs to be the right level of respect shown in responses to our contact.

“We are not asking for a magic or unrealistic response but there needs to be a respectful and realistic conversation that will affect change.”

The four iSMR teams also claimed that despite raising concerns since the inception of the latest contract in relation to the coordination of search and rescue helicopter operations, these have either been “rebuffed” or completely ignored.

This includes a letter from junior dfT minister Nusrat Ghani, suggesting rescue team members “should be able to operate independently”.

SUB-ZERO HEROES: The Cairngorm team who claim they are treated as being ‘expendable’ by helicopter controllers