Sheep Falls from Sky, Sends Teen to Hospital
Chalk this one up as a situation you don’t hear about every day. The scene was the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.
A popular hiking spot with a beautiful lush landscape, it’s also home to sheep. While many sheep are nimble and sure-footed, they’re not immune to occasional accidents.
On Friday, a group was hiking along Slieve Bearnagh, a section of the mountains, when a sheep above them took a tumble.
A large ram can weigh in at around 300 pounds, so it’s really no light matter. A 200-300 pound animal with sharp hooves and horns falling on you could cause some really serious damage.
The animal hit a 15-year-old boy, leaving him with numerous injuries. The local rescue group, Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, was contacted and arrived to assess and treat the young man.
“At 1629 hrs today, the team received a request for assistance from an injured walker,” wrote the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.
“The male youth was walking with a group in the vicinity of the Hares Gap when hit by a sheep jumping from an adjacent crag. The team responded and located the casualty on steep ground on Slieve Bearnagh.”
“The casualty was assessed and treated for a range of potential injuries including head, neck, back, abdominal and leg injuries.”
“When packaged, the casualty was evacuated by stretcher to track access and a team vehicle. After a short transfer to road access, the casualty was handed over to NIAS for further treatment and the onward journey to Hospital.”
“17 members responded and stood down at 2000 hrs.”
To add insult to injury, it seems that the wayward sheep fled the scene without a scratch. “For information, we believe the sheep was uninjured and left the area unaided,” the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team concluded.
Many people commenting on the incident have been taking the opportunity to unleash their sheepiest puns, but others have scolded them for their insensitivity.
The boy was taken to the hospital, but there haven’t been any updates on his condition. Hopefully he will make a full recovery and be wary during future hikes.
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