Just after midday on Tuesday, 19 August, Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team were called to rescue an injured walker who had fallen near the Lower Clun Gwyn waterfall, injuring his chest & shoulder.

The first arriving team members found numerous witnesses helping to stabilise the gentleman. A spokesperson from the team said: “We are very grateful to them all, particularly persons we know only as Scott, Leanne, Dr Noreen and Jon (National Park Warden) who’d all done a great job of caring for him. Also the other witnesses who provided a usefully detailed account of seeing the gent fall.”

The team’s Remote Rescue Medic carried out initial treatment and was quickly joined by Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (WAST) Paramedics. With pain relief and immobilisation applied he was carefully placed on a stretcher.

At this point things took a turn when a lady nearby who had been helping with the initial fall, moved to help and slipped, taking a concerning fall to a ledge just below.

One of the Remote Rescue Medics and one of the WAST Paramedics immediately treated the lady for a head injury. After a full assessment and wound dressings to her head, she was thankfully able to be very carefully be escorted out of the gorge area.

Meanwhile the team carried the first casualty on a stretcher to the awaiting ambulance for transport to hospital.

“We’re also grateful to our friends from Maritime and Coastguard Agency Rescue Helicopter R187 (St Athan) who came to see if they could help airlift to the ambulance,” said a spokesperson for Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team.

“The operating conditions were outside their safety parameters so it was the foot journey out of the gorge on our stretcher. To help us, the National Park staff stayed outside their working hours to help direct the public and stay with the gent’s wife at the car park - thank you all.

“Just before 7pm our vehicles were back at base and made ready to go again, we obviously have our fingers crossed both casualties have a full and speedy recovery.”