The Western Beacons team will be at Rhossili this weekend

A mountain rescue team is inviting members of the public to join it at a south Wales beauty spot.

Western Beacons Mountain Search and Rescue Team members will be demonstrating their skills at Rhossili on the Gower this Saturday as part of a ‘meet the team’ event.

Team press officer Trevor James said: “We use the beautiful cliffs around the Gower a number of weekends each year for technical rope work exercises. For our July weekend we decided to do something different and invite members of the public to come along and see just some of what the team practise.”

Besides demonstrating technical rescue techniques, the team will also have several stations showing members of the public the sort of kit each member carries on a callout, search co-ordination and management and advanced first aid as well as giving general practical advice on what to do in an emergency in the outdoors.

Mr James said: “One aim of the event is also to increase public awareness of what a modern mountain rescue team can be called upon to do.”

Besides what might be considered traditional mountain rescue roles of helping lost or injured walkers and climbers in peril, 60 per cent of the incidents that the Western Beacons Mountain Search and Rescue Team are now requested to attend involve people have gone missing due mental health issues or conditions such as dementia.

“We are sure it will come as a surprise to many just how much we do away from high ground,” he said. “This year we’ve already attended several callouts a within a few miles of Swansea city centre.”

The team will be at Rhossili from 11am until 4pm this coming Saturday, close the path leading from the National Trust car park to Coastguard hut.