A RESCUE operation was launched in Menstrie this week after a person fell down a gorge in the village.

Ochils Mountain Rescue Team (OMRT) worked with members of the fire, ambulance, police, and air ambulance services to assist the casualty.

The callout was received on Tuesday, April 21, and the Advertiser understands the call for help was made after someone fell into a gorge surrounding Menstrie Burn some time in the afternoon.

Ross MacIntyre, the OMRT secretary, told the Advertiser: "The fire service rescue team and mountain rescue team worked together to safely give access to the casualty within the gorge, and then to extract them as well."

The casualty was then placed into the care of the ambulance service, and on Facebook the Clacks rescue team wished them "a speedy recovery".

The rescue effort came at a time when all emergency services are having to adapt to ensure they can still function during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ross said: "All the services are working under heightened protocols to be mindful of social distancing and using personal protection equipment (PPE)."

Thankfully, the job of groups such as mountain rescue has been made easier thanks to the extraordinary compliance of people across Scotland with the government's lockdown measures.

When asked if there had been a drop in the number of callouts in recent weeks, Ross said: "Absolutely. Scottish Mountain Rescue said earlier this week that this has been the quietest period for a number of years.

"Communities across Scotland are taking heed of the advice.

"The team is very appreciative of the local community for following government advice and not going out [except for essential purposes].

"It's very much appreciated having a quieter period as we all go through this together."

However, the OMRT remains available for anyone in need of help and can be reached by calling 999, asking for police and then mountain rescue.