Uel Hamilton obituary: Founder of North West Mountain Rescue team

Born: April 13th, 1946
Died: August 4th, 2018

Samuel “Uel” Hamilton, who has died after a long illness, was a founder of the North West Mountain Rescue Team, serving as its president. He was also one of the longest-serving volunteers with Foyle Search and Rescue.

Hamilton developed his love of outdoors at a young age in the Boy Scouts, eventually becoming a scout leader. He subsequently helped establish a climbing club, and, taking groups into the Sperrin Mountains, he realised the nearest mountain rescue team was in the Mournes. This inspired him to work with others to establish North West Mountain Rescue in 1980.

Today the operational area has extended to include all of Northern Ireland, with the exception of the Mourne mountains, which has its own team. It currently has more than 60 members and provides a 24 hour call-out service at the request of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Freddie Oversteegen obituary: Teenage Dutch resistance fighter sidelined after war

---

March for Choice 2018: How a grassroots campaign changed Ireland

---

Second adulthood: It’s just another desperate paean to the myth of immortality

---

‘Nuns and prostitutes’: Ireland’s hopeless attitude to women’s health

---

In 1996 Hamilton became involved with Foyle Search and Rescue, volunteering after first working as a caretaker. It had been established by local people in 1993 in response to the alarmingly high number of drownings in the river (30 within 18 months) and subsequently took the role of preventing suicide and supporting families in Derry.

Every Friday and Saturday night, and into the early hours of the morning, Uel patrolled the banks of the Foyle, looking out for anyone who had gone into the water or was threatening to do so.

Good company and fond of banter, Hamilton was also highly professional. He had a knack for training other volunteers. His watchword was “keep it simple” and he broke each task down into simple stages so that everyone could understand well enough to do the job correctly.

Innate kindness

He had tremendous pride in both North West Mountain Rescue and Foyle Search and Rescue and instilled it in volunteers he trained. He had an innate kindness, which he used discreetly.

A measure of the respect in which was held was the decision of North West Mountain Rescue to name a building Hamilton House in his honour.

Although ill in recent years, he remained committed. He raised funds, and supported other volunteers. He was with the mountain rescue on Slemish mountain on St Patrick’s Day this year.

Samuel Cecil Ronald Hamilton was born in April 1946, and reared on Derry’s Cityside, one of twin sons to Samuel Hamilton and his wife, Emily (née Stewart). Both parents were natives of Donegal. He was educated at Christ Church Primary School, then Templemore Secondary School. After leaving school he worked as a glazier for many years.

Speaking at the funeral in Kilfennan Presbyterian Church, Rev Bob Craig summed up the inspiration Hamilton gave, remembering that initial vision of a mountain rescue team:

“They didn’t let the difficulties put them off; they were dedicated to the task. They started with nothing other than what they had themselves – their own equipment and cars ...

“What better tribute could we pay to Uel than this: that if we see a need and see that we can do something about it, that we act in response to that vision.”

He is survived by his wife, Anne; daughter, Lisa; and son, Stuart. He was predeceased by his brother Will.