MOURNE Mountain Rescue has warned inexperienced hill-walkers to avoid taking unnecessary risks after it was involved in five separate rescues in just one day.
At around 2.30pm on Wednesday, a walker was rescued from Donard Commedagh Saddle; shortly afterwards, three people who had got caught in harsh weather at the summit of Slieve Donard had to be airlifted off the mountain.
Two separate pairs of walkers also got into difficulties on Slieve Binnian; and in the fifth emergency call-out, a walker with a minor lower leg injury was rescued from the Glen River.
A total of 22 members of Mourne Mountain Rescue were involved in the call-outs, along with police search and rescue, Belfast and Newcastle coastguard, Rescue 199 and the Ambulance Service.
Mourne Mountain Rescue said it was concerned by "the number of calls that involve people putting themselves at unnecessary and often considerable risk".
The team said that all of Wednesday's calls were "avoidable and the risk at which people placed themselves was unnecessary".
"The Mournes are currently showing perfect winter conditions which come with both predictable and inevitable challenges," it said.
"If you do not have the knowledge, skills and equipment to participate in winter hillwalking/mountaineering then lower level substitutes should be considered."
Sinn Féin MLA Emma Rogan thanked the rescuers and urged mountain walkers to exercise caution this winter.
"If you do not have the appropriate experience, knowledge and equipment for mountain walking in the winter, then please substitute the exercise for one that is more safe," she said.
"The Mourne Mountains are an area of outstanding natural beauty that are enjoyed by many, however mountain walking in the winter does pose difficult and unpredictable challenges."
