It was a busy weekend for our team and dart2ZERO volunteers.
After spending most of the weekend fundraising at the quite amazing Historic Vehicle Gathering at Powderham Castle, we had to leave early on Sunday to respond to a missing walker callout at 3:45 pm.
The walker and their companion were camping in Dartmoor National Park for the weekend. Having run out of water on the Saturday, and not trusting the water quality near their campsite at Redlake, they left to find water on the Sunday morning and became separated and the alarm was raised.
Team members deployed to Avon Dam Reservoir and by Landrover to Redlake along with Devon and Cornwall Police to begin a search. A National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter was also used in the search.
Shortly after we were deployed one of our foot teams heading out from Avon Dam located the walker who was dehydrated but otherwise fit and well.
Shortly after, as team vehicles and members returned home, we were called again by Devon and Cornwall Police after walkers reported hearing a call for help from below Smallacombe Rocks near the Becka Brook between Haytor and Houndtor.
Although the walkers couldn’t see the individual, as the calls were coming from the dense area of bracken and woods in the valley, the person requiring help reported being able to see them and was in need of assistance and sounded very weak.
Foot teams searched the valley between Greator Rocks and Smallacombe Rocks until a just after 10 pm with no further contact from the individual. NPAS was again engaged along with a Devon and Cornwall Police search dog and handler.
A second group of walkers reported to us they had given water to somebody who could have been the person we were looking for walking out just before we started searching. However, without any firm confirmation, we needed to search the area thoroughly just in case.
Having covered all likely search areas, we were stood down around 11 pm and returned home after a spending most of the weekend on team duties.
All part of being a volunteer in a professional search and rescue team.