It’s been a busy start to 2021 for the Tipperary based South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association.
Less than a fortnight into the year they have already been called out five times.
SEMRA pro Liz Brown says they are Mountain Rescue not Mountain Police but has questioned the number of people taking to the mountains around the county given the 5 kilometre limit in place under the Covid-19 restrictions.
“The volume of people going up the mountains couldn’t all possibly live within those 5 kilometres.”
“Now if they go up and if they come down, they don’t interact with people and they don’t have an accident or they don’t get lost it’s not really an issue.”
“Our main concern really is for people who are taking unnecessary risks by being unprepared and ill equipped and heading up the mountains and getting caught out by conditions, the dark coming early or by having an accident.”
“Now is not really the time to try out going up the mountain for the first time.”
