Pic: Christy Farrell
The Equine Search and Rescue team, Eugene Brennan and Aileen O’Connor are pictured with George Lett from the Wexford Park and Wildlife Service.
WEXFORD HAS become the first place in Europe to have a fully trained and experienced horseback search-and-rescue team on standby should a search situation ever arise in the county.
Equine Search and Rescue (ESAR) is the brainchild of Eugene Brennan and Aileen O’Connor, who blended their own experience in the search and rescue and equine training areas to come up with the idea of mounted searches and patrols in areas around Wexford. Eugene and Aileen spoke to The Echo about their work.
The company was officially launched recently, after a year long period of set-up and integration with the local authorities such as the Gardai, ambulance, wildlife and the various other emergency service bodies: “Everything we do is in accordance with strict protocol. We’re not a gallop in and rescue group. We’re available if a State Agency wants us to come in and assist on a search.”
Eugene explains that the group has been working hard over the last year to integrate with the local emergency services and have a very good rapport with the Gardai and Wildlife Services.
“It’s the first team of its kind in Europe. The nearest one to here is in the Rocky Mountains.”
[Full feature in this week’s Echo]