RESCUERS have had a busy bank holiday weekend – including coming to the aid of a 12-year-old boy who suffered head and leg injuries.

The Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team had three callouts on Sunday, August 29, including the incident with the young boy who’d fallen at the popular Sgwd yr Eira waterfall in the Brecon Beacons.

“Bank Holiday Sunday has been a very busy one for us, a three-callout Sunday,” said the team on their Facebook page.

“At 4.30pm this afternoon we were called by Dyfed Powys Police to rescue a 12-year-old boy who’d suffered head and leg injuries after falling near Sgwd yr Eira in our waterfalls area.

“One of our casualty carer medics assessed and treated the young man for a deep laceration to his knee and a laceration swelling to his head. We were joined by paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and, working together, we stretcher carried the young man out of the gorge to an ambulance for onward journey to hospital.

“We are grateful to all the passers-by, in particular the off-duty beach lifeguard, for assisting the young man and his family until we arrived.”

While responding to this incident, the team were made aware of another injured person at Sgwd Clun Gwyn Isaf waterfall in the same area. They requested assistance from their neighbours at Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team who dealt with the injured person who had suffered a suspected broken ankle. Once clear of the first incident, they were diverted to assist with the stretcher carry.

The third callout was to help an injured mountain biker in forestry on a mountain in the Pentyrch area, near Cardiff.

“We freed up some team members from the stretcher carry as well as other team members who were at home yet available to respond,” said the team.

“While en-route to number three we were stood down after the ambulance crew discovered they were able to walk the injured biker to the ambulance.”

The previous day saw the team again called out by police to assist two female walkers who’d got lost in the remote Waun Lysiog area of the central Beacons, one of whom was also suffering from a diabetic episode.

“The team’s response was rapid as both of our 4x4 vehicles had been out on an off road course and were just finishing so already mobile and fully crewed,” said the team.

“Having reached the casualty and following a medical assessment by one of the team’s casualty carers a request for air support was made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to assist with the evacuation and we are very grateful to the crew from St Athan who lifted the casualty off the hill, saving us from what would have been a long, difficult and arduous extraction by stretcher over very rough terrain.

“The problem of being a mountain rescue England and Wales 4x4 instructor is that when the vehicles are diverted then you have to go with them so we are also grateful to Andy from the Severn Area Rescue Association who also willingly helped out with today’s shout.”