Callout 09/2019 -  Primley Woods, Paignton 17:08 26th March 2019

Dartmoor Rescue was called to assist in a search for a suicidal male in the Primley Woods area of Paignton. Shortly after the arrival at the RV the male was located outside our intended search area

Callout 08/2019 -  Harefoot Cross, Holwell Down 14:17 24th March 2019

The team were called at 1417 on Sunday 24th March to assist a woman reporting that she was stuck in a bog in the Haytor area. A team deployed from our Templer Way Challenge fundraising event that was taking place at the time, and were stood down en route as the woman managed to self-rescue.

Callout 07/2019 - Pynes Hill / Ludwell valley, Exeter 00:56 9th March 2019

Overnight we have been in Exeter alongside our colleagues at North Dartmoor Search and Rescue, assisting Devon and Cornwall Police, to locate a male which they are concerned for his wellbeing.

Concern had been rasied by a member of the public earlier in the evening when they disturbed the male who seemed intent on taking his own life. The alarm was raised he after ran off.

Police officers, dog units and a Police helicopter were used alongside Ashburton and Okehampton Dartmoor Search and Rescue Teams but without any idea of who we were looking for or the direction of travel, it was always going to be a difficult tasking.

The Dartmoor teams searched the Ludwell Valley together throughout the night and were eventually stood down at around 5:30am with no further clues or sightings of the individual.

Dartmoor rescuers have a busy start to the new year

Callout 01/2019 - Holwell Tor 17:31 1st January 2019

First callout of the New Year for Dartmoor Rescuers based at Ashburton this evening.

The team was mobilised following reports of 2 individuals stuck on Holwell Tor  Dartmoor National Park unable to descend.

Our volunteers were sent to assist. In the meantime the individuals managed to get themselves down but became disorientated in the dark and mist trying to get back to the Houndtor car park.

Walkers rescued who become disorientated on Dartmoor

Callout 04 / 2018 - 18:24  23rd January 2018

A team callout was raised at 18:24 after Devon and Cornwall Police had received a call from 2 adult walkers who had become disorientated on a walk in the Haytor area of Dartmoor.

Members began arriving at the rendezvous at the Haytor Rocks top car park shortly afterwards and the first 3 to arrive were tasked to their suspected location which was either Holwell Tor or Smallacombe Rocks.

The small team walked out towards Holwell Tor along the granite railway and soon saw the missing adults signalling to us with their torches. They were fit and well and had just lost their bearing after the mist had closed in shortly before nightfall. Rather than wander aimlessly they had made the correct decision to stay put and seek help.

Properly equipped

They were properly equipped for the conditions and having torches in their packs 'just in case' certainly made our job a lot easier and enabled us to find them less than an hour after the callout was raised.

In these sort of scenarios where the people we are looking for have a smartphone and are in an area of mobile coverage, we can use a tool called 'SARloc' that sends an SMS text message to their mobile phone with a link. Clicking the link will send us a text message back which includes the Ordnance Survey grid reference of where they are. In this case, our search team had found them so quickly that before our control vehicle had been set up and the text message could be sent, our members were already walking them back to the car park.

A good result that just highlights the importance of carrying a torch with you on the hill 'just in case'.

Search for walker lost around Haytor Rocks

Callout - Overnight search on Haytor Down

At 02:15am a full Dartmoor Rescue Ashburton callout was issued for our volunteers to assist Devon and Cornwall Police with a search in the Haytor Rocks area of Dartmoor for a male in his 40’s.

The missing male had driven to Haytor earlier in the evening. Following a reported conversation with his wife around 11pm to say he was returning home, the Police were called when he didn’t appear.

An initial Police search concentrated around Haytor as his car was found in the top Haytor car park, Fearing he may have lost his way as the area was fog-bound at the time, or taken a fall from the rocks or quarries in the area, our members were deployed. Attempts to call him on his mobile phone failed as the phone appeared to be out of network coverage or turned off.

Team members searched the area of moor surrounding Haytor across to Black Hill and Hound Tor overnight with no trace found. We were stood down shortly after 08:00 when the man had been located safe and well In the Liverton area.

Our soggy team members returned home to prepare for work and to dry kit ready for the next callout.

Dartmoor Rescue assist Air Ambulance with fallen climber at Haytor

Callout – Fallen climber at Haytor.

Just as Dartmoor Rescue volunteers were settling in to its regular Wednesday evening training session, this week a water rescue briefing in the River Dart at Buckfastleigh, we were called to assist the Devon Air Ambulance with the evacuation of a climber who had fallen from Haytor.

The climber was leading a climb on Haytor Rock and had taken a fall. Fortunately his runners protected him and he continued to climb. Higher up the rock he took another fall and this time his higher up protection failed and he fell to the ground.

His belayer, along with his lower runners, managed to take some of the force out of the fall, no doubt saving him from more serious injury.

The Air Ambulance was called, and we were called shortly after to assist with the evacuation of the casualty to the helicopter. As we were on a training night, members were on scene quickly and assisted with his transfer to the helicopter for onward transport to hospital. We hope the climber makes a speedy recovery.