Incidents attended 1996 - 1999
We are in the process of loading our callout data for previous years to when our new website went live in 2012.
Below is the callout summary data for 1996 – 1999. This is an ongoing project and information will be added as our paper based archives are trawled.
Incidents are listed in the table below
1996 - 99 Incidents
A list of Incidents that the team were called out from January 1996 until the end of 1999.
| Incident Location | Date | Details |
| Newbridge | 16/01/1996 | 14:23 - Standby Missing person with learning difficulties lost in Upper Dart Valley, west of Newbridge. Person found safe and well before team called out. |
| Shipley Bridge | 20/01/1996 | 14:35 Teenager with mental health problems missing from campsite at Huntingdon Warren during trip with Totnes care home. Weather conditions wet and foggy. 17:20 Police found at care home in Exeter and later at parents home in Exmouth. Ashburton Plymouth and Rescue 169 helicopter. |
| Huntingdon Warren | 20/01/1996 | 17:20 Just as stood down from previous incident, team of boys from Torquay Grammar school lost following navigational error. Assisted off the moor from a location 3.5 km north of their route by passing group and picked up at Forest Inn. Weather wet and dense fog. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA |
| Nuns Cross | 20/01/1996 | 19:45 2 teams reported overdue and missing. Checking emergency camp sites when advised missing group located at intended RV. |
| Haytor | 10/02/1996 | 17:25 Car found unlocked and abandoned on the granite railway 500 m east of Holwell Quarry with invalid chair inside. Police enquiries indicated that misper was known to social services and exhibiting symptoms of Munchausen Syndrome. Ashburton with Plymouth searched the area and at 00:18 following no further sightings teams were stood down for the night. 10:30 the following day the search continued with Tavistock joining Ashburton members. No further sightings and again team were stood down by Police at 16:15. Follow up: - No claim was known to have been received for the car and the mispers personal details were placed on file. Some weeks later a report from a hospital in the NE indicated a visit by a male displaying Munchausen symptoms, different name but same birth date. |
| Shipley Bridge / Didworthy | 17/02/1996 | 16:30 Strong winds and spasmodic heavy rain. Search for vulnerable male who repeatedly is reported missing. teams searched until 01:00 when a stand down was implemented for the night. A further daylight operation to be considered at 09:00. Message from home confirmed that the misper was intercepted by a neighbour at 08:55 and returned home. |
| Bovey Tracey | 18/03/1996 | 13:37 Team alerted by Police to missing 12- 13 year old girl. Deprted home in Buckfastleigh early hours following domestic tension. Known to like Hembury Woods and Haytor area. Weather dense fog. 16:30 teenager returns home on her own accord and team stood down. |
| Sittaford Tor | 14/04/1996 | 11:50 Weather: Light rain and slippery. Oats Walk participant had slipped and sustained a leg injury. Team members collected casualty and evacuated her by stretcher to Postbridge with two other walking but injured casualties. |
| Crediton | 29/04/1996 | 10:00 Weather: Dry and bright. Search for missing female at Cheriton Fitzpaine who had left a note indicating she was 'just going for a walk to clear her head' at 18:00 on the 26/04/1996. At 15:49 a body was discovered on a hill about 1 km outside the village. Okehampton, Ashburton and SARDA. |
| Newbridge | 07/05/1996 | 18:10 Evacuation of injured 14-year-old teenager with a back injury from the heavily wooded Upper Dart Valley. Weather: Generally dry but wet and slippery at casualty location, boulder field on river's edge. Casualty was stabilised and carefully transferred to helicopter 400 feet above casualty location where he was flown to Torbay Hospital for attention to back and leg injuries.. |
| Haldon Woods | 15/05/1996 | 14:00 Weather: Fine and dry. German registered car reported abandoned in Haldon Forest over a period of 1 - 5 days. As members arrived at RV, a message was received by Police reported that the car driver was currently riding a bicycle and had appeared at Longdown Service Station and was endeavouring to find his car. The driver had left his car whilst taking a cycling tour to Cornwall. He was reprimanded and charged heavily for the car retrieval. |
| Ten Tors | 19/05/1996 | Adverse weather conditions including snow and strong winds caused a high number of evacuations of teams and remnants of teams throughout the Sunday. It was estimated that 56 teams were safely checked through the Ashburton DRG Control route at Sittaford. |
| Haytor Rock | 19.06/1996 | 19:45 Team advised whilst on a summer walk and BBq at Holwell Quarry, of the need to assist the ambulance service with the evacuation of an injured teenage climber from the west face of Haytor Rock to a land ambulance. Injured person had sustained back, neck and head injuries and team members worked with paramedics to evacuate to the road. |
| Moretonhampstead | 26/07/1996 | 13:!5 84 year old lady missing from residential care home. Last seen 08:30. Vanity bag found at 14:20 in woods to north of Moreton and search focuses on that area. Positive sighting by fixed-wing aircraft near Combe Farm slightly to north of vanity bag find. Misper located safe and well at the location, minus trousers and footwear. |
| Haytor | 05/08/1996 | 12:30 Possible suicidal missing person from Moorlands Hotel. Last seen 03:30. Search commenced at 15:15 and at 17:00 that the individual had been located in Holwell Quarry fit and well but was refusing to communicate. Eventually the team persuaded the man to communicate and join them on a walk back to the hotel. Team members were commended for the effective way the awkward situation was dealt with. |
| Strete | 11/08/1996 | 21:00 Weather: cool and dry. An elderly lady with dementia last seen at 15:30 now missing from nursing home.DRG teams tasked to search beach and road area from Torcross to Strete. At 01:55 the Ashburton Landrover having transported a search team into the Bowden vicinity, checked an isolated lane and buildings and located the lady, cold but well, 2 km north of the residence |
| Exminster | 13/08/1996 | 16:15 Missing suicidal male. Suicide note left in an abandoned car between the main railway line and Exminster Marshes. Along with helicopter aerial search, foot teams covered the area of meadows between the railway line and the canal, each bordered by deep waater filled ditches and high walls of reeds. Teams stood down at 19:30 as daylight faded. Ashburton and Okehampton |
| Exminster | 15/08/1996 | 18:30 Continuation of search for suicidal male. Police had gathered intelligence that indicated the misper had a close interest in the Dawlish Warren area. 2 hours into the search of the Warren, a Police message was received that a body had been sighted in the River Exe near Topsham, later confirmed as that of the missing person. Ashburton and Okehampton |
| Hickaton Hill, Avon Dam | 20/08/1996 | 20:50 Weather fine and cool: Two lost female walkers trekking the Two Moors Way. They became benighted unsure of their location but could not erect their tent. Advice from an Ashburton team member who w in contact with the walkers, worked out their location as Hickaton Hill and advised them to move to the hill crest and renter their sleeping bags. Then signal with their torches when the Police helicopter was spotted. A successful evacuation took place at 22:18. |
| Hallwell | 21/08/1996 | 17:55 Weather dry and clear. Misper mid 30's, HIV positive, past history of crime and drug use. Evidence of a break-in at a local property in the area and property found in a field. Teams searched until 22:30 and stood down. 22nd Aug a solicitor contacted Police to indicate misper was safe and well but in no fit condition to meet Police due to drug use. It was confirmed he had been attacked by 2 men at a property, had escaped, emptied his pockets in the field and moved on. |
| Bennets Cross | 07/09/1996 | 09:45. Weather dry and warm, cooler overnight. Missing 78-year-old male (on medication following a stroke in June). Left home in Somerset at 10:30 on the 6th to walk on Dartmoor (area not known) and not returned. His car found at Bennetts Cross at 09:00 on the 7th. The car had been forcibly entered in his absence. Search teams combed the area north and south of the Two Bridges Moretonhampstead road. Around 14:00 a DNP ranger confirmed he had spoken to the misper the previous afternoon as he was enquiring the best start point and route to Fernworthy. At 16:15 a phone call from his wife reported he had just phoned saying he was off the moor and intended returning to his car. He was located at the Two Bridges Hotel. He apparently had become disorientated and became benighted on the moor creating a shelter with his map and foliage. He then continued his wanderings and eventually reached the Two Bridges Hotel. Misper initially could or would not appreciate the life-threatening situation he had experienced and questioned the need for the search operation. Although this view amended later. Ashburton, Tavistock, RAF Chivenor, Devon Cave Rescue and SARDA |
| Chalkford | 28/09/1996 | 18:08 - Standby - Weather high winds intermittent heavy rain, severe deterioration to follow. Four Scouts (14-15 yrs old) well equipped, walking from Ivybridge to campsite at Scorriton, overdue. 19:25 group found at planned Scorriton campsite. |
| Dartmouth | 05/10/1996 | 23:01 Weather dry and fresh. 9-year-old boy missing in Dartmouth area, last seen at 10:00. On arrival at RV, team advised that misper had been found in a neighbours house. |
| Coombestone Tor | 06/10/1996 | 19:43 Weather no rain but poor visibility. 2 x DofE Silver Award walking groups overdue at Combestone Tor. 20:43 Two light sources observed, one due south on Holne Ridge, the other SW in Hexowrthy mine area. One light was an adult supervisor. The Holne Ridge light proved to be one group who were escorted to the RV. At 01:55 a foot team reported a green flare 60 deg from Heap of Sinners. Group located at Homestead on Buckfastleigh Moor way off their route and totally lost. Team escorted to RV. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA |
| Widecombe-in-the Moor | 18/10/1996 | 13:23 Assistance requested to locate some clothing and a sledgehammer connected with an attempt to rob Widecombe post office. The assailant in custody. At 16:00 the items were recovered |
| Shipley Bridge | 15/12/1996 | Weather: Poor visibility down to 20 metres at times. D of E group lost on south moor. They thought they were in visual distance of the RIver Avon. A helicopter overun with a team search manager found no sign. Group finally located when search manager requested fly over of Fox Tor swincombe area. Missing party located near River Swincombe at the intake works and led on foot to Forest Inn for pick up by team supervisors. |
| Minehead | 22/12/1996 | 00:16 Search for missing 77 year old woman with mild alzheimers, last seen 15:30 on the 21st in Minehead area. Exmoor, Okehampton, Ashburton and SARDA. Team stood down after all night search at 10:30 |
| Harberton | 20/01/1997 | 13:03 Missing care home patient in her late 30s. Team stood down as they arrived at the RV as she had been located safe and well. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA |
| Scout Hut Plymouth | 15/03/1997 | Night callout |
| Newbridge | 29/03/1997 | 21:44 Weather dry and cold. Two male walkers split up after an argument. Search instigated for one walker. |
| Hexworthy | 24/04/1997 | 17:10 Weather very good. Request to locate a man believed to have been involved in his wife's death.19:07 Police dog handler confirmed contact with misper and team stood down. Ashburton, Plymouth and Tavistock. |
| Combestone Tor | 03/05/1997 | 23:35 5 x missing teenagers. Weather very good. RV at Combestone Tor to search the end of mispers intended route and work out towards Ter Hill. The missing team were located at 06:22 on Buckfastleigh Moor. They reached the wall west of Ter Hill but didn't find the corsses. They found going tough so decided to find easier ground. The team didn't go through Skir Gut but instead ended up on Mardle., finally stopping at 21:10. |
| Ryders Hill | 06/07/1997 | 23:45 Weather dry and warm. 56 yr old walker overdue from 10 Postbox walk in Ryders Hill area. Walk organisers and Police helicopter conducted searches but no find. Missing for more than 11 hours and known to be on high blood pressure medication and had complained of pain in his left shoulder. Body found by search teams 300m west of Ryders Hill Died of suspected heart attack. Ashburton and Tavistock. |
| Dartmoor Training Centre | 06/08/1997 | 15:30 12 year old boy had split with group after an argument with his friend. Concern for him as he was only wearing shorts and t-shirt and weather was poor. Before teams deployed, he returned safe and well. |
| Venford Reservoir | 28/09/1997 | 20:15 Weather good but possibility of turning cold. He phoned Police saying he had gone for a walk from Venford Eastern car park and had at some time collapsed. He didn't know where he was but could remember crossing a stream. At 22:50 the misper rang Police to say he could see a light heading towards him and a blue flashing light. During a later call he said he had passed out again for a few minutes. This contact went on for some time and became confusing. Our lights were either below him or to left or right. At 00:14 misper found 400m SE of hapsted Ford by a search dog. A debrief felt that misper didn't want to be found until the last minute, and had been moving around. He could not have seen our lights or the blue light from where he was found. Police indicated they may take the matter further. |
| Shipley Bridge / Redlake | 23/10/1997 | 22:00 A team of 2 leaders and 7 youngsters with learning difficulties. Approaching Broadfalls 2 leaders argue and 1 refers to other as 'the devil' and leaves party. Around 18:30 he washes and falls in river (fully imersed) and instructed to take short walk to warm up. He doesn't return. Search teams spent all night looking for him and in to the next day. The male was later found at 12:36 at the water treatment works in New Waste. |
| Okehampton | 01/11/1997 | Day callout |
| Starcross | 03/11/1997 | 10:42. Misper suffering from severe depression. Male returned home at 18:51. he was in good condition having taken with him a sleepng bag. |
| Staverton Bridge | 16-17/11/1997 | 16:30 Male reported missing from home dressed in only his underpants since early morning. Car found abandoned at Staverton bridge. Weather good. Teams search along river banks and paths. The collective view was the missing person had entered water at the point the car had been abandoned and he would be found in the water between Staverton and Totnes weir. The second day of the search concntrated on river and river bank. At 10:10 a body was discovered 100m downstream of Staverton weir. After the event we discovered the car had actually been abandoned opposite the gateway down to the river bank with door open and key in ignition and radio left on. The car had been moved to a parking space from which footpaths along the river, railway and village converge. The member of the public had not reported this fact to the Police until a much later time. |
| Strete | 09/12/1997 | 2307: Weather low cloud turning colder and wet. A 62 year old male suffering from depression who had not returned from his walk. He had that morning been advised by his GP to attend the EMU at Torquay the following day. He had walked with his wife. She returned home when it started raining and he carried on. teams searched all night and into the following day. Search called off at 16:00 on the 10th. Search continued on 18th January 1998 from 09:00-16:00. No further information. At 21:00 on 19th Jan 1998, received call from Police saying tha man's body had been found in water some 1.5 km upstream from the Higher Ley. |
| Avon Dam Reservoir | 15/12/1997 | Night callout |
| Slapton | 01/01/1998 | 17:02 Weather wet and high winds. Concern for 31 yr old German holidaymaker who decided to return to her accommodation in Slapton whilst with a walking party, and didn't return at expected time. COncern due to her being unfamiliar with the area. Returned safe and well as team were being organised for a callout. |
| Hound Tor | 02/01/1998 | 16:44 Weather: 'Poor'. 3 walkers (2 in 30s , 1 in 60s) Should have returned to Houndtor car park by 15:30. Reported missing at 16:30. Party returned as callout being considered. |
| Newbridge | 03/01/1998 | 16:52 Weather dry and cold but rivers running high. 6 kayakers left Dartmeet to paddle to Newbridge. Late arriving at destination. 4 not happy with conditions, left river and said they would walk down. (ground very slippery and treacherous underfoot). As they hadn't reached Newbridge by 16:30 as darkness fell, 2 remaining kayakers raised the alarm. As team heading to RV, the 4 kayakers reached Newbridge safe and well. |
| Buckfast | 05/01/1998 | 22:18 - Weather dry and cold. 13 year old girl went for walk with dog. Dog returned alone with lead but without the girl. Concern due to similar recent disappearance of girl in Exeter. Girl found at friends in Totnes area safe and well. |
| Newton Abbot | 16/01/1998 | 01:05 Weather wet and cold. Concern of safety for a alcoholic in her 60s who had been reported missing at 17:30. Had left home to go into town to buy alcohol and not returned home. Team searched Bradley Woods, hospital, cemetery grounds and Decoy areas throughout the night and team stood down at 07:00. At 16:30 contacted by Police who informed us that she had been locked in public toilets opposite Somerfields supermarket all night. Ashburton and SARDA |
| Shipley Bridge / Didworthy | 15/03/1998 | 21:49 Weather dry. A vulnerable missing person who had repeatedly gone missing had disappeared from care home at Didsworthy. Individual found safe and well. Ashburton and SARDA. |
| Bittaford Moor Gate | 20/06/1998 | Night callout |
| Heatree Down | 16/08/1998 | 22:21 Lady in her 30 went missing from Manaton activity centre about 14:30 after argument with husband. Nobody saw her leave complex so assumed she was in grounds When she didn't return the alarm was rasied. Search took a while to get going as Police had what they thought was a reliable sighting of female fitting her description at bus stop in Newton Abbot. Lady found 06:00 by DSRT observers in Police helicopter well but unhappy on the moor at Hameldown to the west of Lower Natsworthy. Ashburton and SARDA. |
| Ashburton | 26/12/1998 | 20:00 Weather wet and localised flooding. Male in his 30s expected to have fallen in river which flows along the bottom of his garden in Ashburton. Body found and recovered by search teams from River Ashburn 400m downstream from Peartree Cross 10:30 on the 27th. |
| Bittaford Moorgate | 10/04/1999 | Night callout |
| Shipley Bridge | 20/04/1999 | Day callout |
| Dewerstone Rock | 29/04/1999 | Night callout |
| Haytor | 15/08/1999 | |
| Bittaford Moorgate | 24/08/1999 | Night callout |
| Furzes Cross | 25/08/1999 | Night callout |
| Chagford | 12/09/1999 | Day callout |
| Chagford | 14/09/1999 | Day callout - Same misper as previous callout |
| Dartmeet | 20/09/1999 | Night callout |
| Shipley Bridge - Didworthy | 21/09/1999 | Night callout |
| Shipley Bridge - Didsworthy | 05/11/1999 | Night callout |
| Chagford | 21/11/1999 | Day callout - Same misper as 12/14th Sept |
| Cullumpton | 28/11/1999 | Day callout |
| Tiverton | 29/11/1999 | Day callout |
| Holne | 25/12/1999 | Day callout |