Donegal Mountain Rescue Team

Donegal Mountain Rescue Team 100% volunteer team operating 24/7 emergency search & rescue across remote and extreme terrain in Donegal, Ireland

We are tasked out by An Garda Síochána so if there is an emergency please call 112 or 999 directly, this is to ensure an appropriate coordinated response.

Congratulations to four of our team members who passed their Mountaineering Ireland Mountain Skills Assessment this week...
18/05/2026

Congratulations to four of our team members who passed their Mountaineering Ireland Mountain Skills Assessment this weekend with Bren Whelan of Donegal Climbing.

It's a two-day test of personal mountain proficiency covering map and compass navigation, steep ground movement, contour interpretation, route planning, mountain hazards, and a night navigation exercise that takes candidates from daylight headtorch in one unbroken push.

The assessment also requires a current and valid First Aid Certificate, and a logbook of mountain experience across a variety of upland areas.

It's not a casual tick-box exercise, it has both written and practical evaluation, and this opens them to apply next for the Mountain Leader award.

We're grateful to Bren for his time, expertise, and for taking this photo!

18/05/2026

Training with Rescue 118 yesterday. In Letterkenny airfield. Practised winch hoisting: getting team members up into the aircraft safely and efficiently and the high line: the tether rope used to control rotation and prevent personnel from spinning during hoisting.

🚁 Today, Donegal Mountain Rescue Team welcomed the crew of Rescue 118, the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopte...
17/05/2026

🚁 Today, Donegal Mountain Rescue Team welcomed the crew of Rescue 118, the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter based at Sligo for a joint training day, that was as valuable as it was wet!

Rescue 118 recently transitioned to the brand-new Leonardo AW189, replacing the Sikorsky S-92 that many of us had grown familiar with over the years. Today was our opportunity to get properly acquainted with it, learning the aircraft's layout, rescue configuration, and operating procedures from the people who fly and crew her every day.

Training covered two things: winch hoisting: getting team members up into the aircraft safely and efficiently, and the high line: the tether rope used to control rotation and prevent personnel from spinning during the hoist. Both skills are critical to effective mountain rescue operations, and working through them in a live aircraft environment, with Rescue 118's own crew guiding us, is irreplaceable experience.

As for the weather, well. The Sligo crew apparently brought the Atlantic with them. The rain was relentless and barely let up all day. It did make for thoroughly realistic training conditions.

Thanks to everyone who turned out and got stuck in today. And a very special thank you to the four-person crew of Rescue 118 — two pilots and two winchmen — who gave their time and expertise. And thanks also MRSC (Marine Rescue Coordination Centre Malin Head) Malin Head Coast Guard for helping coordinate today.

Equipment Update - We're delighted to share the arrival of a new Starlink satellite internet system for our Incident Con...
17/05/2026

Equipment Update - We're delighted to share the arrival of a new Starlink satellite internet system for our Incident Control van.

As many will know (especially anyone who's tried to get a signal in the Errigal car park, for example), operating in Donegal's remote areas can mean limited mobile coverage, making on-scene communication tricky.

Starlink will give us a more reliable internet connection in the vehicle, supporting incident management, mapping and communication between teams.

Dependable connectivity is vital for modern search and rescue, and this upgrade will help us respond effectively when needed.

A big thank you to everyone who supports the team and helps us invest in equipment that directly improves our operational capability.

[Library photo from a past event at Errigal]

CALLOUT - YesterdayAt 18:49, Donegal Mountain Rescue Team was tasked by An Garda Síochána regarding a report of a missin...
10/05/2026

CALLOUT - Yesterday

At 18:49, Donegal Mountain Rescue Team was tasked by An Garda Síochána regarding a report of a missing person in South Donegal.

The team initiated SARCALL, a technology that sends a text message to the missing person's phone. If the recipient clicks the link, we can pinpoint their location. Unfortunately, the messages were not activated.

While our Callout Coordinator had 10 DMRT members preparing for the search, the team received confirmation from Gardaí that the missing person had been found safe and well, and the team was stood down.

We thank An Garda Síochána and the team members who responded.

🏔️ Ten DMRT team members completed the Rope Rescue 3 Operations Course across two weekends recently. The course follows ...
08/05/2026

🏔️ Ten DMRT team members completed the Rope Rescue 3 Operations Course across two weekends recently. The course follows standards developed by ICAR (the International Commission for Alpine Rescue) a body that draws on research and operational experience from mountain rescue teams around the world. The same training, the same standards, wherever you are in the mountains.

This brings Donegal Mountain Rescue to having one of the largest rope rescue teams in Ireland. Thanks to our trainer Ronan Lenihan for the great time spent in Donegal hills.

Coyle's Centra of Raphoe recently held a fundraiser in their shop. Thanks a million to Edward Coyle for organising and f...
03/05/2026

Coyle's Centra of Raphoe recently held a fundraiser in their shop. Thanks a million to Edward Coyle for organising and for all who donated. Your donations go to helping fund new equipment and training for our team. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir!

Recently we we're invited to attend mountaineer Simon Yates's talk in An Grainan Theatre, here are the photos! Thanks fo...
30/04/2026

Recently we we're invited to attend mountaineer Simon Yates's talk in An Grainan Theatre, here are the photos! Thanks for saying hello and for all your good wishes and donations. It was a really enjoyable evening.

CALLOUT – Carrigans, March 27Recently, following a report of a missing person in the Carrigans area, local Gardaí contac...
20/04/2026

CALLOUT – Carrigans, March 27

Recently, following a report of a missing person in the Carrigans area, local Gardaí contacted DMRT and a coordinated response was put in place.

A search team was deployed to examine a forested area. To ensure thorough coverage, an aerial search was subsequently agreed upon, and Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 was tasked to assist. The helicopter carried out a comprehensive aerial search, identifying several areas of interest before completing the operation.

Following the conclusion of all searches, the team stood down and returned to base. It was later confirmed that the missing person had been located elsewhere, safe.

We would like to sincerely thank Malin Head Coast Guard and the crew of Rescue 118, based in Sligo, for their support and professionalism throughout this operation.

Gear up for an evening with mountaineering legend Simon Yates at An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny on April 17th! We're ...
14/04/2026

Gear up for an evening with mountaineering legend Simon Yates at An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny on April 17th! We're honoured to be invited by the organisers to be gratefully accepting donations on the night.

Simon Yates, a veteran of over eighty expeditions to high and remote mountains, will share stories from the last decade, including adventures and climbs in the far north and south, as well as summits in South America, Central Asia, and the Himalayas.

In 2023, Simon travelled with Mick Fowler to attempt the unclimbed north face of Patkhor in Tajikistan. Contracting food poisoning early in the expedition led to a series of challenging events, including running out of food, retreating in a storm, and a 100m fall during the descent. After two days on the glacier, rescuers arrived but were unable to carry Simon down, requiring a three-day walk to safety.

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