Emergencies

Couple of incidents required the attention of the Coastguard this weekend. A pair of walkers got lost in the hills at Aline, South Lewis, on Saturday evening and became benighted. They finally did manage to find the road at 3 am, by which time the helicopter was out looking for them. I know the area from personal experience, and you have to have your wits about you in terms of orienteering. Nonetheless, it is supremely bad planning to allow yourself to be overtaken by the fall of dusk. Also, I wonder if they were carrying a map. There are two ways out of Aline. Either you walk south, and hit the track leading to Loch Langabhat, or you walk east and you hit the main road.

A German visitor was walking near Carloway when he broke his ankle and needed to be attended to by the helicopter.

Down in Chichester, Sussex, a woman thought she could walk on mud at low tide in the harbour. No such luck. She sank into it, right up to her chest and was stuck fast. Half an hour later, her partner thought it might be an idea to call for help. He dialled 118118, directory enquiries. In its report, the Coastguard scathingly added that it might even have been better to call 101, operator services.