Sandy’s Rescue Story

Sandy’s Rescue Story

Tell me a little bit more about yourself?

Sandy Morrison, 37 at time of rescue. I am a keen hill runner and mountain biker.

What were the circumstances that led up to the rescue? 

I was taking part in the Pentland Skyline race, a race that loops around the hills local to Edinburgh taking in 16 summits and around 27km long. I had just started to descend off the third summit, Castlelaw, the surface at this point is quite loose soil and having decided I could push a bit harder before the tricky part of the descent, I slipped. 

When you realised it was an emergency and you might need help, how did you feel? 

It was not pain that first made me realise something was wrong, but seeing my patella in the wrong position. I did initially panic and knowing that there would be racers behind me I started to call for help. 

How did you call for help/ involve the mountain rescue? 

I called out for help and the first runner behind me was a doctor and he was quick to assess me and reassure me that it was unlikely to be a dislocation (I was concerned this was the injury). I was fortunate to have fallen close to the summit and so a race marshall was close by and after a brief handover from the Doctor (who was now able to continue and finish the race) phoned through the Police for Mountain Rescue, as it was clear after one attempt I would not be able to get off the hill myself.  

How did the Mountain Rescue Team help? 

Tweed valley MRT had one member close by who arrived before the rest of the team due to proximity and having them arrive was a relief and it meant a plan for extraction could be discussed while the rest of the team arrived. I was fortunate to have fallen 200m from the summit where the army have a landrover track to maintain their red flag, this meant that the main team and landrover where able to get within what I’m told was an easy/light carry. The team were fantastic while they discussed the finer details of getting me off the hill,  professional and focused while being light-hearted when talking to me and others who had stopped to help. The team had me on a stretcher and with the help from marshals and race spectators carried me up the hill to the landrover. The Police had been out on quads when Mountain rescue were called and also attended, they were able to find out an Ambulance would be a 6 hour wait and so Tweed Valley MRT took me to the ED. Hopefully the picture attached will show how well the rescue went. 

What was the outcome of the rescue? 

The outcome of the rescue was a timely delivery to the hospital where it was found I had ruptured by patella tendon which required surgically fixed.   

What difference did this make to you? 

Getting to the hospital was a relief both as it meant I could be assessed and also even though it was a mild 10c that day I was beginning to feel the cold on the damp hillside, which on another day really could have been an issue. 

How did you feel about the support that you received from mountain rescue? 

The support could not of been better, every team member was brilliant and they worked together fantastically as well as organising helpers.  

How did the rescue impact on your life? 

I am very grateful that there are willing volunteers to turn out at a moments notice no matter the weather and help someone they have never met before, rescuing them with no judgement to the situation that required MRT help. What a fantastic group of people.