5 days ago
Walker experiencing chest pains airlifted off Carn Ingli
Pat Harroway and his wife, both experienced paramedics from England, were attending the Earth First gathering at Birthdir Mawr community, just outside Newport this weekend.
The event involves workshops, discussions and festivities and brings together those involved in ecological action. It is held in a different place in the UK each year.
Pat has been attending the weekend gathering for around a decade and was also there to provide first aid cover.
On Sunday, afternoon at around 3pm one of the festival goers was walking on Carningli, around half a mile away from Brithdir Mawr, when they came across an unwell walker and his wife.
The man was suffering from chest pains and a suspected heart attack.
Contact was made with the attendees of the gathering at Brithdir Mawr, asking if anybody there had first aid training and could help.
Pat and his wife, as well as a few other Earth First attendees, sprinted up the mountain with their first aid kit, water and other supplies.
'It was all uphill, it was a hot day and definitely hard work,' said Pat. 'We didn't know what we were going to find when we got up there. We went as quickly as we could.'
Pat found the man lying on the ground at the top of Carn Ingli, exhibiting signs of a possible heart attack.
The man had already had aspirin and Pat and his wife liaised with the emergency services and waited with the man and his wife until the walker was airlifted off the mountain by the coastguard helicopter at around 4.50pm.
'We didn't do a great deal but make sure that they were okay and communicate with the emergency services,' said Pat, who has recently returned from working as a paramedic in Ukraine.
'It is quite scary for someone to be taken unwell at the top of a hill away from roads,' he said.
'We were able to provide reassurance that they were okay and look after them before the emergency services arrived.'
The man was flown to Swansea for further treatment and Pat has since had confirmation from the man's wife that he is now okay.
'We were at Earth First to provide first aid. It was mostly removing ticks and putting on a few plasters when they started shouting for first aid and saying that someone was having heart problems at the top of the hill,' said Pat.
'We are both experienced paramedics, so it was no different, except that it was at the top of a steep hill.'
Mike Kear, one of the community members at Brithdir Mawr Housing Cooperative, said:
"An Earth First paramedic from the gathering at Brithdir Mawr helped support the person until the helicopter came to take them off the mountain.
"It was amazing to watch how the gathering communicated and organised themselves to help. There was such a lovely group of people at the Earth First Gathering and so well organised."
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: 'A HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter airlifted a man reported to be experiencing a medical incident at Carn Ingli at about 4.50pm on August 10.
'He was flown to Swansea and passed into the care of the Welsh Ambulance Service for transfer to hospital. Mumbles Hill Coastguard Rescue Team supported.'
