DERBYSHIRE: Shock donation for mountain rescue team

Electricity network operator, Western Power Distribution (WPD), donated over £900 so the team could purchase a number of casualty bags – vital in keeping casualties warm during rescues.

The bags, which resemble fleece lined sleeping bags, are carried by search parties when looking for missing people or when attending an injured person in remote areas.

Someone who has been injured and stationary outdoors for some time will inevitably be very cold, even on fairly mild summer days and the rescue team will try to warm them up as soon as they are located, using a casualty bag and an emergency shelter, known as a kisu.

WPD’s Patrick Bates met with rescue team members to present the newly purchased kit at one of their substations, where several team members were able to try the new kit out for the first time.

Patrick said: “The Rescue Team do a fantastic job and we were only too pleased to support them by donating lifesaving equipment.”

Kevin Corcoran, from Derby Mountain Rescue said: “We’re very grateful to Western Power Distribution for their generous donation. The harsh environment we operate in means we have to replace our equipment very regularly and this can be a very expensive process. These casualty bags will allow us to keep our casualties warm in the cold outdoors for years to come.”