Devon Vintage Car Club has been supporting us alongside our colleagues at North Dartmoor Search and Rescue throughout the year as its supported 2015 charities.
Following this support we were delighted to attend a cheque presentation at Ivybridge where both teams received cheques for £1250.
With a fine collection of classic vehicles – including 2 search and rescue Landrovers obviously, members of the club handed over cheques to each of the 2 teams. The photo shows team member Rob White collecting our cheque on behalf of our team.
Team Fundraising Officer Al Pewsey said “It’s great to be nominated by businesses and organisations such as the Devon Vintage Car Club to be their charity of the year. We are very grateful as we rely almost entirely on donations to continue to provide our service to those in need not just on Dartmoor but across Devon. ”
Big Noise Chorus, Ashburton’s new pop and rock choir, brought their fantastic foot-stomping concert of popular classics to the Methodist Church in Ashburton with songs from Ben E. King to Amy Winehouse and Queen.
The concert raised over £500 for team funds that will go towards helping those in need and effectively help to save lives. Some of our volunteers gave a demonstration of some of the equipment we use along with a brief talk on the sort of work we do.
Big Noise Chorus is a network of 4 community pop/rock choirs around the South West raising money for charity with their highly popular concerts which are renowned for their fun, inclusive and high quality approach to community choirs. Colin Rea, the choirs’ founder and conductor said “It is a real privilege to be able to support such excellent charitable work in the area. Over the past 6 years our choirs have raised over £65,000 for various charities, many of them local. It is incredibly exciting to be able to use our music-making to put back into the community and support such excellent causes.”
The choir goes from strength to strength and new members are always very welcome. No audition necessary. For more information go to their website www.bignoisechorus.co.uk.
Staff and students at Newton Abbot College are celebrating an incredible start to their fundraising efforts for the academic year by presenting a cheque to the College’s chosen charity, Dartmoor Search and Rescue – Ashburton, for £570.99 following the huge success of their student-run Christmas Fayre on December 11 2015.
The annual Fayre, a highlight in the College’s calendar, is organised and run entirely by students; stalls included homemade baked goods, craft creations, face painting, hook-a-duck, book stalls and many more. More than 150 local primary school pupils were invited to the College to take part in the day, which included craft workshops in the Art Department as well as a visit to the Fayre to stock up on Christmas gifts and goodies.
Laura Davey, Teacher of Business Studies and lead organiser of the event, was thrilled with the Fayre and the incredible fundraising total: “This is the third Christmas Fayre organised by the College and by far the most successful. Its success can be solely contributed to the commitment and creativity shown by students across the College to deliver a truly fantastic event. Their passion and determination to fundraise for the College’s annual charity has been truly inspiring and we couldn’t be happier with the amount raised.”
Alan Pewsey, Fundraising Officer for Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team – Ashburton, was equally as thrilled: “The team are incredibly grateful for the support shown by Newton Abbot College; their fantastic fundraising efforts will go towards saving lives and the money raised will really help people in need in the local community.”
Our volunteers who assist Devon’s emergency services when people go missing or become injured in remote locations have been overwhelmed by the public’s response to a fundraising campaign.
We only just managed to get our essential control van through its last MoT earlier this year and realised a new one would be needed if our lifesaving work was to continue into 2016 and beyond.
An appeal for help went out at the end of June with a target of £20,000 that would allow us to buy the base vehicle.
Our team’s delighted fundraising officer Alan Pewsey said: ‘We simply cannot believe how generous people have been and how quickly they’ve responded to our appeal.
‘In the first place we’re so grateful to the press who publicised our appeal as widely as they did because thanks to them the calls soon started coming in.
‘More than £1,000 was pledged very quickly and then one lady in south Devon contacted us and incredibly offered to donate £20,000 in memory of her late husband.
‘We were only just starting to get over the shock of that when the Newton Abbot Hospital League of Friends said they’d like to pledge a further £10,000, we simply couldn’t believe it.
‘With £34,000 in the fund we can not only get the van but equip it too with all the communications, medical and survival kit needed when searching for lost or vulnerable people.
‘We respond to about 35 shouts a year on average, any time and anywhere we’re needed, not just on Dartmoor but across Devon including urban areas such as Torbay and Exeter, and our entire operation is funded by the public’s generosity.
‘It costs us about £15,000 to keep going for a year and we’re always very grateful for the support people give us.
‘But the response to this appeal has been unparalleled and we offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped.
‘Even Toby at Pottery Commercials in Newton Abbot has been very generous to us in finding a virtually brand new van at a huge discount and fitting extras free of charge.
‘We can’t wait to show off it off as soon as it’s on the road and ready for action.
‘Again, thank you so very much. Sadly our work never ends but then neither do the bills stop coming in.’
Press Release courtesy of:
We are very grateful to Moorgate Veterinary Group who have joined Sibelco in sponsoring our Templer Way Challenge that takes place a week today.
They are not just sponsoring the challenge either as 2 vets are walking the route and offering free dog first aid to any 4 legged friends taking part should they need it.
We are very grateful to the guys, girls …. and dogs at Moorgate in supporting the team. The photo shows our Fundraising Officer visiting the Bovey Tracey practice to pick up the donation from vet Ashley Rubens.
We really appreciate this boost to the Templer Way Challenge and look forward to a really good day next Sunday.
The team was placed on standby today at 14:32 for a collapsed walker in the Green Hill area of the south moor. The Devon Air Ambulance was tasked to assist the walker and the team was stood down.
At 11:19 on Saturday 14th May the team were called to assist Devon and Cornwall Police with a search for a high risk missing Lithuanian female in the Seaton and Beer area of East Devon.
The lady in her late 20’s had gone missing earlier that morning and the Police had conducted a search with the assistance of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter based at Exeter Airport, the RNLI and HM Coastguard.
All the Mountain Rescue volunteers were split into various field teams to cover the areas identified as likely locations for a find. Fortunately around 4pm the lady was located and after being assessed by one of our team Dr’s, was handed over to the ambulance service for further treatment.
The call was a great example of not just differing MR teams working seamlessly together, something we regularly train for, but also MR volunteers working alongside other agencies such as HM Coastguard.
We would like to thank Tesco’s at Seaton, who despite a busy sunny Spring Saturday, accommodated all our personal and team vehicles in their car park and fed our volunteers with bacon butties and coffee. Your generosity is very much appreciated.
On the following day, the team were put on standby to search for 2 children who had gone missing on Haytor Down. A concerned member of the public came across 2 children at Smallacombe Rocks asking for directions to Haytor. The member of the public alerted the Police after pointing them in the right direction who put us on standby. The Police managed to locate the parents at Haytor and fortunately the children managed to find their way back.
After a busy morning doing weekly vehicle and kit checks the team were put on stand by at 13.35 for possible missing persons in the Widecombe area, fortunately they were located safe and well before being deployed.
An hour and a half later the team were called again to a missing male reported to be unwell in the Piles Copse area.
On route to the RV we were informed that Police Officers had found the casualty but need assistance in getting off the moor. Both team Land Rovers then made their way along the old tramway where we found a very wet and cold casualty on the track North of Piles Copse. All involved including the finding Police Officers were then evacuated from the moor in DSRT Ashburton Land Rovers, the casualty to a waiting ambulance and Devon and Cornwall’s finest to their cars and hopefully a well earned brew.
A good outcome in what were very poor conditions.
Ivybridge and South Brent Gazette http://www.ivybridge-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=103796
The team were put on standby at 14:13 for a 13yr old male that had become separated from a party on a walk around the Haytor area. Thankfully he turned up at Haytor within 20mins of the conversation with D&C Police, and the team were stood down
At 11am on Monday 11th July, the team were called to assist our North Dartmoor colleagues with a search for a missing person in an area near Cheriton Bishop.
Fortunately just after we were called the missing person was found and we were stood down.
Briefly on the 24th July at 18:10, the full team were placed on standby to search for a missing person around the Passage House Inn area of Kingsteignton. The team were stood down at 19:28 with no further action required.
At 15:27 the team was placed on standby to assist with a search for a missing person in the Ivybridge area. Following receipt of further information by Devon and Cornwall Police of the individual’s potential whereabouts, the team was stood down at 16:13.
Immediately following our Newton Abbot callout, our swift water rescue specialists were put on standby to assist the emergency services including Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, HM Coastguard and sister Mountain Rescue teams across the peninsula.
A deep low-pressure system along with saturated ground and high winds and Spring Tides were combining to cause a tidal surge that could cause localised flooding and dangerous high seas along the coast during the early morning of January 3rd. Fortunately, the wind direction and strength changed to lessen the risk and our services were not required. However, further spring tides over the next day or so will mean the heightened alert will continue.
The team were placed on standby today to assist Exmoor MRT with a missing person search in the Barnstaple area.
At this stage of the missing person enquiry our services are not required and we have been stood down for the time being.
Police are asking for the public’s help to locate a 55-year-old man missing from his home in Barnstaple.
Officers are concerned for the welfare of Christopher Barrow who left his Swimbridge home around 1.30pm on Monday 10 February.
Police units have been conducting searches across the Barnstaple area for Mr Barrow since yesterday afternoon. The police helicopter and both Dartmoor and Exmoor Rescue Groups are involved in the search as is the Devon Cave Search and Rescue Group.
Officers are urging anyone who sees Mr Barrow or knows of his whereabouts to contact them immediately.
He is described as white, 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build. He is clean shaven and has cropped brown hair. He was last seen wearing a red top, blue jeans, tan-coloured work boots and possibly a green jacket.
A GARDENER and delivery driver from Swimbridge intended to take his own life when he shot himself twice, an inquest heard today (Monday).
Christopher Barrow, 55, of High Cross went missing on February 10 and was found dead by a dog walker at Pugsley Hill Copse near Swimbridge two days later.
The inquest heard Mr Barrow was due to have an appointment with the bank the day he disappeared as he was facing a possible redundancy.
His wife Gail Barrow discovered he was missing at around 2.30pm and upon finding a note called the police, resulting in a widespread search of the area.
Mr Barrow was found on the morning of February 12 with gunshot wounds to the chest and head, the latter of which was fatal, a post mortem concluded.
Karen Perrett, who attended the inquest, said in a statement Mr Barrow was 'always smiling and was very polite, but always a bit reserved'.
Coroner Elizabeth Earland concluded although Mr Barrow appeared to have drunk some alcohol before his death, he had intended the consequences of his actions.
She recorded a verdict of suicide.
The team has been placed on heightened alert for possible callouts relating to the snow tonight 17th January. If you are out overnight take care and be prepared taking spare warm clothes, food and hot drinks with adequate waterproofs and boots should the conditions deteriorate. Keep a sleeping bag in the boot of the car just in case is always a good idea, along with a spade.
Advice for driving in winter is available on the AA website.
Our volunteers are on heightened alert for a possible callout should the weather conditions deteriorate further with significant and disruptive snowfall.
This could include callouts as part of a coordinated response should the Haldon Hill emergency plan come into effect involving the emergency services and other full-time and volunteer organisations including ourselves.
You can keep up to date with the weather conditions using various weather widgets, webcams and weather stations that we have brought together on our website weather pages under the Advice section.https://www.dsrtashburton.org.uk/advice/weather
We were called just before midnight on Sunday 16th December by Devon and Cornwall Police to help in the search for a 'high risk' vulnerable female who was believed to be in the Haldon Forest area on Haldon Hill just outside Exeter.
Team vehicles had been organised and team volunteers were just beginning to arrive at the rendezvous when we were stood down as the misper had been found by Devon and Cornwall Police officers.
The team were called at 18:43 to search for a high risk juvenile missing person who had been missing since the early hours in the Tipton St John / Newton Poppleford area of East Devon.
The misper was located by a search team en route to their search area at approximately 20:00. The young person was brought back to control, warmed up and assessed before being escorted home safe and well with their mother.
A good outcome so close to Christmas.
Devonlive: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/relief-delight-missing-devon-teenager-2314174
CALLOUT: Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton volunteers were called out today at 1332 to search for a high risk missing male in the Dartmouth area, who may have been injured after a road accident.
Sometimes it’s all about using any assets available to us to best search an area. So thank you to Dartmouth Gold Club for lending some of our team members your golf buggies. They sped up the search no end and saved a few extra miles in the legs. This lot also wish to be known as Team Dart 23 Mechanised from now on...
The team were called at 1437 today to assist the South Western Ambulance Trust with the extraction of an injured motorcyclist from a difficult to access location.
Whilst the team were en route a nearby forestry worker transported the casualty in their pickup truck to the ambulance and the team were stood down.
At 16:11 today Dartmoor Search and Rescue were called out to rescue four teenage boys from near Red Lake Dartmoor. The boys all from the south east of England, had previously walked in the Surrey Hills and the New Forrest and came to Dartmoor looking for a challenge.
20km kilometres into a 30km walk they became lost, then darkness fell. The boys were lucky be on a part of Dartmoor where they could use their mobile phones. SARLOC technology was used by the police to obtain their location and the rescue team were called.
Two rescue team Landrovers, along with Landrovers from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Plymouth, were dispatched and a foot team then sent to collect them from their location. They were fit and well but very cold and very wet. After receiving hot drinks and food they were then escorted to the Landrovers for the drive back to their car.
Ian Lowcock, DSRT Ashburton Search Manager, said: “With the wind and rain it would have been a difficult night for a prolonged search but knowing their location meant we could get to them quickly. They had set themselves a challenging walk on Dartmoor but had not anticipated the difficulties of navigating on Dartmoor.”
The team were called last night by Devon & Cornwall Police to assist with a search for a male in his 70s who had gone missing earlier in the day giving cause for concern.
The search was entered around the Donkey Sanctuary / Weston area to the East of Sidmouth, where the gentleman’s car was found and down to the coast. Multiple agencies were involved including Police officers, a Police National Air Service helicopter, Sidmouth Lifeboat, Beer Coastguard Rescue Team, a Coastguard Rescue helicopter and a Devon and Cornwall Police search dog
The search was stood-down in the early hours due to the difficult terrain and resumed in daylight this morning.
Thanks to a member of the public our volunteers located evidence that has significantly narrowed the search area, but due to the difficult terrain, the search was postponed until daylight this morning.
We are very sad to report that a body has been located by Coastguard rescue teams today.
The Coastguard along with the Police search manager and staff from the Donkey Sanctuary with local knowledge, working in very difficult terrain, discovered the body of the missing person at the base of Dunscombe Cliffs in dense undergrowth in the area identified by our search teams last night.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the gentleman as this very sad and difficult time.
The team were called out this afternoon as part of a joint rescue operation at Chudleigh Rocks.
The alarm had been raised after a teenager had fallen from a substantial height at the rocks which is a popular location for climbers.
Team members worked alongside Devon & Cornwall Police, BASICS Devon volunteer doctors and SW ambulance personnel to treat and evacuate the casualty to the waiting Devon Air Ambulance helicopter for transport to a hospital.
One of our team volunteers on site said: "The casualty was incredibly lucky to have survived the fall from the rock. The rock is in close proximity to a large number of small trees and we think it was the trees that broke the fall and prevented more serious injury."
"The ground surrounding the rocks is lose and slippery in places, and considerable care was needed to make sure the patient was transported safely by stretcher to the helicopter. All the agencies involved worked seamlessly together to make sure the patient was given the best chance of a good recovery."
"The initial clinical assessment was that although serious, the injuries weren't thought to be life-threatening and the casualty was conscious when transported by stretcher to the helicopter. This will obviously be updated once a more detailed examination in hospital is undertaken."
Team leader Keith Lambeth said: "Just two weeks ago the team undertook a joint training exercise with the BASICS Devon volunteer Doctors at Haytor in preparation for incidents such as this. The seamless team working shown by all the agencies on site today showed that joint training is of utmost importance in making sure casualties are given the best chance.. We wish the teenager all good wishes for a full and speedy recovery."
Dartmoor Search and Rescue volunteers were called out early on Friday afternoon to search for a missing person with dementia who had gone missing in Decoy Park, Newton Abbot.
Fortunately, the elderly gentleman was spotted by team members on their way to the rendezvous and was returned to his family.
At 08:46 on Tuesday morning, the team received a request for help from 2 stranded walkers in the Redlake area of the south moor.
A father and daughter had left for a camping trip on the Monday. Overnight the weather deteriorated with rain and both the visibility and the temperature dropping. Becoming cold and disorientated they called for help.
We were in mobile phone contact with the walkers and managed to pinpoint their location using SAR-loc. Instructing them to stay where they were, we sent our 2 Landrover ambulances up the puffing billy track to locate and evacuate them.
They were located by our Landrover on the track to the south of Redlake, very cold, sitting on their camping mats and sheltering using their tent flysheet as a makeshift shelter.
We escorted them off the moor to a member's house where they had a hot drink and warmed up before they were returned to their car at Shipley bridge.
'They were caught out by the change in the weather which deteriorated overnight. Conditions were very different on the Monday morning from when they set out meaning their summer clothing was inadequate in keeping them warm. The poor visibility added to the problem and they did the right thing in calling for help and staying put so we could pick them up.'
'We are sure they have learnt a valuable lesson and we hope will continue to enjoy the moor in the future better prepared for Dartmoor's notorious reputation for rapid changes in the weather.'
Dartmoor Rescue were called out just before 10 pm last night to assist Devon and Cornwall Police with the search for an elderly lady with severe dementia missing in Exeter.
She wandered out of her care centre and we were called to search the open grassy and parkland areas in the vicinity. On arrival, we received notification of possible sightings well outside of the planned search areas and a team was deployed into the Exwick area. After approx two hours the Police received a call informing them that a confused lady had knocked on the door of a residential property and the family asked her in and alerted the Police. The team were stood down and all ended well.
The team were stood down just before midnight.
A second callout for an elderly lady with advanced dementia, this time in Paignton.
Devon and Cornwall Police resources were stretched Policing the Boardmasters event in Newquay and required our help to locate the lady who was missing from her home address. She was last seen by her husband in their back garden at 10:30hrs The team was requested to RV at the Clennon Valley Leisure centre and to search the large wooded and open areas in Clennon Valley.
Fortunately, she was located by Devon and Cornwall P{olice, believed to be safe and well, whilst we were on our way to the RV and the team were stood down.
The team were called at 12:55 and put on standby. A missing person called Police having 'turned right at the Avon Dam and lost the path'.
Police deployed a helicopter. and we deployed our former Team Leader Rob. The missing person wisely gave up and called the Police and stated that they had found themselves. This was a good thing and the team were taken off stand by.
Dartmoor Search and Rescue were called at approx 17:30hrs to assist Devon and Cornwall Police in the search for a missing male in the Torquay/Kingskerswell area.
With the assistance of Network Rail safety personnel, foot teams searched the embankments and farmland alongside the Torquay to Newton Abbot railway line. The teams were stood down at 22:30hrs as all relevant areas had been searched.
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.
The team was called early on the 25th June by Devon & Cornwall Police to assist with a high-risk female despondent from the Axminster area. Following a conversation with the Police Lost Person Search Manager (LPSM) it was decided to put the team on standby pending the results of National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter and air scenting search dog deployments. The team was stood down approx 01:05 having received a message that the misper had been located at a Taunton hospital.
Shortly before the stand down on the Axminster incident above, the team duty Search Manager was made aware of a second high risk missing person in the Exeter area. The decision was taken not to place the team on standby pending the results of Police activities that were already underway. The incident was resolved without necessitating involvement from ourselves.
The team was called around 17:10 to assist South Western Ambulance Service in evacuating a casualty with a lower-leg injury. While the team were assembling at the rendevous from where the operation was based, we were stood down as the casualty had been successfully transported to a Land Ambulance by the ambulance crew on scene
The team were called to assist Devon & Cornwall Police with a sensitive search for a missing person in Cornwall. This ended up being a multi-agency incident involving our colleagues in Cornwall, Plymouth and Tavistock over a period of many hours. The missing person turned up north of our search area later that afternoon.
The team was called earlier this evening to assist the South Western Ambulance Trust with the evacuation of a lady with a suspected broken ankle.
The lady had tripped injuring her ankle whilst walking with her husband in Lustleigh Cleave on a path just below Sharpitor. Unable to carry on the ambulance service were called who requested our help with the evacuation.
At the time of the initial request from the ambulance service, the exact location of the lady was unknown other than it was thought she was on the Lustleigh side of the Cleave and possible not far from 2 potential access points. Hence we were prepared for a potential search. An update was then given that she was 2 miles along a path that accessed the Cleave from Hammerslake.
As it turned out the lady was just under 600m into the Cleave from Hammerslake and we found her within 20 minutes of our first team being deployed.
The Paramedics had already splinted her ankle and administered painkillers and were ready for our evacuation. 10 minutes after our first team were at the casualty site, a second team arrived with our stretcher ready to begin the evacuation, closely followed by a third to assist with the stretcher carry back to the ambulance.
The transfer back to the land ambulance was a bit tight in places and required careful handling of the stretcher to make sure the patient was kept as comfortable as possible. On reaching the road, the lady was transferred to the waiting land ambulance for onward transfer to Torbay Hospital.
'I am very grateful to the team members who responded to this call for assistance from the ambulance service. From beginning the initial search to transferring the lady to the ambulance was less than an hour. I am very proud of the efficient and caring way the team worked in ensuring the lady was kept as comfortable as possible on a route that was very difficult in places. We send our very good wishes to the lady for a speedy recovery and hope she is back exploring the beautiful Devon Countryside again very soon.'
We were called this evening to assist the ambulance service with an elderly couple who were visiting Devon from out of county and had over-stretched themselves on a walk around the Avon Dam Reservoir.
It was a beautiful day on Dartmoor and the couple had set out to see the display of Rhododendrons in bloom on the road to the Avon Dam Reservoir which are stunning at the moment. Those who love the moor as we do will understand she can be a bit of a temptress at times, as you turn a corner, or climb a rise, the next stunning view tempts you further encouraging you to explore.
Today was such a day and the couple reached the dam and decided to walk further on a sunny Dartmoor afternoon. Unfortunately, the route is longer than they estimated and they soon realised they had bitten off more than they could chose and were in difficulty and rightly raised the alarm.
The ambulance service was called as a precaution against any medical events occurring and Paramedics were sent to their aid. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding regarding their location meant the couple were further on to the moor than they thought and a call was made to us and the Coastguard helicopter based at Newquay, Rescue 924 to assist.
Knowing the moor and access routes as we do, we were able to send team members and our Landrover ambulances to assist. The couple were airlifted by Rescue 924 from Eastern White Barrow back to a waiting Land ambulance who assessed them before they returned to their vehicle.
Whilst this was going on, on what was a regular weekly training night for the team, other team members not involved with the callout continued the planned rope training exercise at Leigh Tor.
The team were called out at 0009 on Sunday 3rd June to search for a vulnerable missing person in the Heavitree area of Exeter.
Shortly afterwards, the team were stood down whilst our volunteers were en route as the missing person was located by Devon and Cornwall Police.
We hope the individual gets the care they need and get on the road to recovery.
14 team members were called out shortly before 03:00 this morning to search for a missing 13-year-old in Exeter.
We were fortunate to have the support of 7 colleagues from North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team and a search dog from SARDA.
Several areas of park, farm and woodland were searched. The teams were completing final areas when the missing person was located outside our search area.
In the early evening of Sunday, Devon and Cornwall Police investigating the reported disappearance of a middle-aged male, requested the team to search areas in and around the Foxhole area of Paignton.
Members were engaged in searches through parkland and woods in and around the area until they were stood down at 22:24. Further Police investigations had found the male was safe and well and outside our search area.
The team were deployed searching open areas and watercourses in Exeter yesterday evening searching for a 50 year old vulnerable male.
Working alongside colleagues from North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service urban search and rescue team, the team were initially deployed to search areas of the River Exe in and around Cowley Bridge and along the Exe valley towards Uption Pyne. Following further intelligence gained by the Police we were relocated to the city centre based from the Waitrose store in Gladstone Road.
The missing person was not located during our phase of the search which was undertaken in very wet weather. The good news is however that he was located around midnight by Police and a family member after making a call to his family. He was wet but otherwise unharmed.
'Storm Emma' and the 'Beast from the East' weather events caused a Met office Red Warning to be issued for a majority of the County of Devon and the southwest this week. As one of the agencies that form part of the Haldon Hill Emergency Snow Plan' along with the ful-time emergency services, Devon County Council and the Highways Agency, we were placed on heightened alert for the duration of the expected disruption.
Following major incidents in 2009 and 2010 that caused 100's of motorists to be stranded on Haldon and Telegraph Hills, lessons had been learnt and all agencies were very well prepared for the expected snow and blizzards that arrived this time around. The A38 especially is a major artery into the southwest and every effort would, and indeed was, made to keep the road clear.
Our Search Managers were actively involved in planning meetings leading up to Thursday and in preparation, our Incident Control Vehicle was taken to Kennford on Wednesday in advance of the expected bad weather on the Thursday afternoon. Our team volunteers were on heightened alert and were deployed to 3 different rendezvous (RV's), at strategic points on the West and East side of the hill at noon on Thursday ready to be deployed where needed to keep the A38 flowing. Very quickly the weather deteriorated as forecast and 2 teams were deployed to the Haldon Forest Diner at the top of Haldon Hill around 2pm.
Almost to the minute, the weather deteriorated rapidly at 3pm as forecast and problems very quickly began to occur. Haldon and Telegraph Hills rise rapidly to their apex and it's this rise that causes the issues with traffic in snow conditions.
The emergency services closed the A380 Torbay Road quickly after the snowstorm began as planned so that all efforts could be focused on the A38. Shortly after, lorries and cars started to experience traction problems climbing the hill and congestion started to form. In the 2009/10 events the gritters and snowploughs couldn't get through to clear the road as their progress was blocked by stranded vehicles. This time the emergency services released traffic in batches and, apart from a few issues, managed to keep the gritters and snowploughs running for most of the time which minimised the number of stranded vehicles.
Our role in the plan is primarily to undertake welfare checks on stranded motorists and make sure any medical events are highlighted for treatment and hypothermia is avoided. We also kept an eye on any abandoned vehicles to keep track on anybody who had decided to leave their vehicles and make sure they were safe.
As darkness fell limited traffic was still able to traverse the hill with considerable care although many vehicles did experience issues. From our base at Kennford and Haldon Forest Diner, our Landrovers were able to ferry team members to wherever they were needed to facilitate rescues alongside the Fire Service to help get stranded vehicles moving that were causing obstructions to traffic flow.
One particular area for problems was the westside of the hill on the Westbound carriageway heading down towards Chudleigh. Members and the Fire Service helped to get things moving again and the road was kept open.
Eastbound there were also problems from the Teign Valley/Chudleigh Knighton junction towards Harcombe bends on the hill which also proved a problem for HGV's with at least one jack-knifing.
Around 1am members were finally told to stand down and they faced their own challenge of getting back to their homes safely.
On Friday, members were then again deployed to help the Ambulance service with reaching patients in rural difficult to access areas before finally being stood down in the early evening.
Saturday began the task of getting team vehicles and equipment back to our base, equipment repacked and readied for the next callout, and members reunited with their vehicles.
Our Team Leader 'Keith Lambeth' wrote the following message to members, family, friends and supporters of the team about our deployment.
"It's been a long few days with team members being deployed in some cases from midnight on Tuesday through to today. Our main efforts have been welfare and safety checks on Haldon (as well as other tasks to keep traffic moving). Followed by a day of assisting SWAST with accessing emergencies in remote areas and team doctors assessing cases to reduce the burden on ambulance and hospital services."
"I have three thank-you's to pass on.
Firstly Thank you to all of the team members who have answered every request made of them with cheerfulness and resilience. I am prouder than ever to be a member of this team and my colleagues constantly set a standard that I aspire to, even when communication isn't clear and conditions are poor their patience and stamina are awesome."
"Secondly Thank you to our Families and friends who make it possible for us to walk away from our lives to do this and then appear hours later for baths and showers! Our supporters in Dart2Zero who underpin all we do. Over the last three days, we simply couldn't have operated without the hospitality of Haldon Forest Diner, The Dartmoor Lodge and Moorgate veterinary practice thank you too!"
"Lastly and maybe most importantly thank you to everyone who made sacrifices and stayed off the roads when asked this week (yes, I know not everyone could)."
"The work hasn't finished for us just yet and today we are reuniting members with their cars, checking, cleaning drying and recharging equipment and then we will be looking for some quality time with families. Providng the phone doesn't ring..."
"Thank you all for support and kindness."
The team were deployed on Friday 2nd March to assist SWAST during the extreme weather conditions affecting the Southwest. 13 members were involved in assisting SWAST with 4x4 vehicle access in hard-to-reach areas around our patch for medical issues. One 85yr old gentleman was assessed and evacuated to RD&E; another 86yr old female was assessed and stabilised without having to seek hospital treatment by a team Doctor
Over the 1st and 2nd March, 40 members were involved in the snow incident.
The team were called to assist an overdue kayaker at Newbridge on Sun afternoon the 4th March. The kayaker had come out of their boat whilst descending the upper Dart. Members started to head towards the RV at Beltor Corner to deploy into the Upper Dart Valley and begin a search. Within 15mins of the callout being initiated the kayaker phoned to say that they were safe and well having walked out and the team were stood down.
At lunchtime today our team, backed by our colleagues at North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team, were called out to assist Devon & Cornwall Police with a missing person search at Longdown on the outskirts of Exeter.
The missing male, a student at University of Exeter, was last seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning at an Exeter nightclub, and Police had become increasingly concerned as his disappearance was out of character.
Around 3:30pm this afternoon, a team of our swift water rescue specialists discovered the body of a young man within our search area.
We are all deeply saddened by the outcome of this search and send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the young man at this very difficult time.
Devon and Cornwall Police requested assistance from the team in the search for a missing vulnerable teenager to the south east of Exeter. Shortly after the callout was issued and members were travelling to the rendezvous, the team was stood down as the teenager had been found by a Police dog.
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.
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'.
Our team of volunteers were called out at 18:20 on the 8th January to search areas around Buckfastleigh, including the deployment of our water team specialists to search the River Dart to the south of Buckfastleigh. Teams were deployed along various stretches of the River Dart starting from the Salmon Leap weir near the Dart Bridge pub south towards Totnes, and in the Staverton area.
All team personnel were stood down around 23:00 after completing our search taskings with no further sight of the missing 49-year-old male. The intention being that we would hand over to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue personnel for a daytime search on the Tuesday.
A man who went missing from the Ashburton area has been found after presenting himself to Torbay Hospital earlier today and is now being supported by Police officers and medical professionals.
A team spokesman said: 'We hope the man receives the care he needs and makes a speedy recovery.'
Shortly before 03:00 this morning, the team was called out to search for a missing lone female walker on the south of Dartmoor.
The walker had been out the day before and was believed to have been geocaching. She raised the alarm by calling the Police from her mobile around midnight, indicating she was lost wet and cold, who then asked us to respond.
Unfortunately, our conversation with the woman in her 20's was cut short as her mobile phone battery went dead. From the brief phone call we established that she was likely to be at 'Heap of SInners' on Huntingdon Warren.
Two field teams were deployed from Shipley Bridge in driving rain and squally winds tasked with searching the Huntingdon Warren area north of the Avon Dam Reservoir. Around 05:20 she was located at the Heap of Sinners, scared, wet through, mildly hypothermic and very relieved to see us. She was placed in our storm shelter, given some dry warm clothing and hot drink before she was walked off the moor to Ludgate.
We are quite confident that the young lady from Hertfordshire has learnt a valuable lesson from her ordeal. She had no map or compass, no spare clothing, was dressed in jeans which were totally inadequate for both the terrain and weather conditions and certainly contributed to her situation and mild hypothermia. When walking on Dartmoor, you need to be properly protected against the weather conditions, not rely on electronic devices to find your way and have some spare clothing should things go wrong. She was very lucky we found her when we did as her condition was deteriorating in the poor weather.
Having handed over the young lady to the Police to return her to her car, our volunteers were stood down around 07:00 am and headed home to prepare for a day at work.
Our duty Search Manager Dave Underhill, talked to BBC Radio Devon about the incident and being properly equipped for activities on Dartmoor.
We've been part of one of the biggest searches conducted in recent years all day today looking for a missing male from Ivybridge.
- Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton,
- Devon & Cornwall Police,
- Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) dogs,
- Devon and Cornwall Police dogs
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service dogs
- Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team - Plymouth,
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service,
- National Police Air Service helicopter from Exeter,
- Devon and Cornwall 4x4
- and more than 100 members of the public.
We arrived on site at 08:00 this morning. Slightly later than planned as our team vehicles assisted with an advanced warning using our blue-lights, and clearing of an accident on the A38 at Rattery caused by a member of the public's vehicle spinning in the icy conditions - we hope she's OK.
Teams searched areas to the north of Ivybridge including Erme Woods and the moor up to the north of Harford Moorgate and Burford Down focusing on wooded areas up until stand down around 4pm this afternoon.
Unfortunately, the man we were searching for remains missing despite a number of unconfirmed sighting of him during the day.
UPDATE - Monday 8th January: Following the search on Saturday 6th January, the missing person turned up at a family member's house in East Devon today.
Click on the 'Callouts 1985 - 1989' title above to view the callout details.
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 1985 – 1989. This is an ongoing project and information will be added as our paper based archives are trawled.
Incidents are listed in the table below.
A list of Incidents that the team were called out from 1985 until the end of 1989.
Incident Location | Date | Details |
Coombestone Tor | 15/10/1985 | Night callout |
Postbridge | 05/11/1985 | Night callout |
Bittaford Moor gate | 22/02/1986 | Night callout |
Postbridge | 19/06/1986 | Night callout |
Holne Moor gate | 12/10/1986 | Night callout |
Hexworthy | 17/03/1987 | Night callout |
Sharptor | 08/08/1987 | Day callout |
Coombestone Tor | 10/08/1987 | Night callout |
Ludgate | 30/05/1988 | Night callout |
Shipley Bride and Hartford Moor Gate | 01/06/1988 | Night callout |
Peat Cots | 08-09/06/1988 | Extended callout (night and day) |
Coombestone Tor | 26/12/1988 | Night callout |
Okehampton - Assisting the north Moor team | 18/03/1989 | Night callout |
Sigford | 26/05/1989 | Night callout |
Postbridge | 09/08/1989 | Night callout |
Shipley Bridge / Didsworthy | 22/12/1989 | Night callout |
Wrangaton Moor Gate | 30/12/1989 | Night callout |
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
A list of Incidents that the team were called out from January 1990 until the end of 1995.
Incident Location | Date | Incident Details |
Bittaford Moor Gate | 26/04/1990 | Day callout |
Shipley Bridge | 04/05/1990 | Night callout |
Cross Furzes | 18/08/1990 | Day callout |
Postbridge | 24/09/1990 | Day callout |
Harford Moor Gate | 08/03/1991 | Night callout. Located and evacuated missing patient from Moorhaven Hospital from near Harford Moor Gate. SARDA and Plymouth also involved. |
Shipley Bridge | 09/03/1991 | Day callout. Avon Valley searched for potential suicide patient from Moorhaven Hospital. Located with samaritans. SARDA and Plymouth also involved. |
Wrangaton Moor Gate | 14/03/1991 | Night callout. Wrangaton and Harford moors searched for patient missing from Moorhaven Hospital. Located in hospital grounds. SARDA and Plymouth also involved. |
Holne Moor Gate | 25/03/1991 | Night callout. Called to Holne Moor to search for 2 missing teenagers from a party of 7. Party appeared as search being mounted. |
Merrivale | 02/04/1991 | Called to search from Bideford overdue at Merrivale. Walked off at Peter Tavy as search being mounted. Plymouth and Tavistock also involved. |
Fishlake | 14/04/1991 | Stretcher team called to carry off girl with severe abdominal pains and hypothermia from Fishlake. |
Chudleigh Rocks | 20/04/1991 | Evacuated climber injured at Chudleigh Rocks from base of crag to ambulance. |
Dartmeet | 29/05/1991 | Night callout. Evacuated a disabled adult missing from a party in Dart Valley after an all-night search. SARDA and Plymouth also involved. |
Ducks Pool | 23/06/1991 | Night callout. Located and evacuated a party of 5 girls from Taunton on a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expedition at Ducks Pool. SARDA and Tavistock also involved |
Burrator | 03-04/08/1991 | Extended callout (night and day). Searched and located a suicide victim in woods near Burrator Reservoir. All 4 DRG teams and SARDA involved. |
Fernworthy | 04/08/1991 | Day callout. Located youth missing from a campsite near the beehive hut, East Dart Valley, near Fernworthy. SARDA also involved. |
Shipley Bridge | 29/02/1992 | Party of 5 scouts searched for north of Shipley Bridge. Came off moor at Bittaford after a navigational error. Ashburton and SARDA |
Albaston, Tamar Valley | 06/03/1992 | All 4 Dartmoor teams and SARDA called to search farmland, woods and old mining area for lady missing from Albaston in the Tamar Valley. Later found dead in the river. |
Moretonhampstead | 22/03/1992 | Search for missing person in Moretonhampstead area. Located on road near Bridford by Police. Ashburton and SARDA, |
Crossways | 21/04/1992 | Search for missing man, south east Dartmoor. Located west of Crossways and evacuated. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA. |
Plymbridge Woods | 16/05/1992 | Search for missing lady in Plymbridge Woods. Later turned up in Norwich. Ashburton Plymouth and SARDA. |
Ten Tors | 16-17/05/1992 | All teams provided safety cover for Ten Tors. Evacuated 9 participants with various leg injuries and exhaustion. |
South Brent | 29/05/1992 | Search for 3 members of Surrey Duke of Edinburgh expedition group. Turned up at farm near South Brent as search being mounted. Ashburton, Plymouth, Tavistock and SARDA. |
South Brent | 12/07/1992 | Called to search for lady missing from a nursing home near South Brent. Located by Police helicopter before search mounted. Ashburton and Plymouth. |
Harford Moor Gate | 28/07/1992 | Search for missing patient from Moorhaven Hospital. from Harford Moor Gate. Person located in wood near the hospital by Police helicopter. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA. |
Holne Ridge Combestone Tor | 04/09/1992 | Missing walker separated from party of 3 walking from Scorriton to Combestone Tor. Weather: Dry cold and clear. Found safe and well at 01:25. Ashburton, Tavistock and SARDA. |
Cockingford | 04/10/1992 | 02:25 - Adult acting as follow up sweep for a college walking party walking from Cockingford Farm to Buckland Bridge missing. Well equipped walker but with no torch had taken a few 'tumbles' in the dark and lost his glasses decided to stay put on a ledge camped down in his sleeping bag. Found by Police Dog west of Holne Ridge safe and well around 03:45. |
Shipley Bridge | 22/11/1992 | Night callout. Search for a party of 5 teenagers and 1 adult from College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth. Located by search team and evacuated to Harford Moor Gate. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA. |
Coombestone Tor | 01/12/1992 | Night callout. 17 hour operation in force 9/10 winds and torrential rain on Nakers Hill and SKir Hill, Hexworthy for missing party of 5 boys and 1 adult leader from Weston-Super-Mare College of FE. Party split and 3 located south of Fox Tor Mire and evacuated. Remaining 3 airlifted from Skir Girt during weather break by RAF Chivenor. All teams and SARDA. |
Moretonhampstead | 16/12/1992 | Day callout - Standby |
Okehampton | 28/03/1993 | 20:30 - Standby. 4 Duke of Edinburgh group participants from Rendcomb College, Cirencester, missed RV with adult leader at Cranmere Pool. Team found by foot team camped down near Black Ridge peat pass at 23:10. Walked off by team members. Okehampton, Ashburton and SARDA |
Bagga Tor Gate | 17/05/1993 | Night callout |
Postbridge | 24/07/1993 | Night callout |
Newbridge | 26/07/1993 | Night callout |
Bell Tor Corner | 18/08/1993 | Night callout |
Tor Cross - Slapton | 17/10/1993 | Day callout. Search with HM Coastguard in the Torcross area for a missing lady with depression who had been last seen dismounting a bus at Torcross 10 days earlier. Foot teams discovered a body at 13:15 in farmland just outside Torcross. Ashburton and Plymouth. |
Halwell | 15/02/1994 | Day callout. Search for a farmer who went missing at 18:00 on 1th and was known to be in a 'disturbed state'. The weather at the time was atrocious with blizzard conditions and heavy drifting. Roads were impassable. Due to impassable roads, team was not called out until 06:45. Call received at 09:00 that farmer had 'walked into his home'. Taken to hospital with minor cuts and bruising after 15 hours in sub zero temperatures. Ashburton. |
Bell Tor Corner | 02/04/1994 | Callout 19:30. Search for a person seen by 2 women in Bel Tor area heading towards Widecombe and appearing to be in difficulty, and possibly requiring aid in view of poor weather conditions. At 21:00 Police arrived with 'missing person' who had been at their house. Family had weekend/holiday home in Ponsworthy and a missing person had a disability that gave an appearance he was in difficulty to the uninitiated when he was fine. Ashburton and SARDA. |
Venford Reservoir | 10/04/1994 | Day callout |
Chalk Ford | 20/05/1994 | Callout 18:34. A missing team of 7 teenagers from Plymouth College on Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition in Holne Moor area in thick fog and heavy rain and with possible hypothermia and exhaustion. Team found safe and well 09:35 by RAF Chivenor helicopter after team found near Nakers Hill. All teams. |
Bovey Tracey | 28/05/1994 | 10:00 Missing person in her 60's missing since 27th May. Believed to have suicidal tendency and connected with water. 11:30 foot team reported find of a body in disused quarry pool at Bradley Ponds. Ashburton and SARDA. |
Rattery | 19/06/1994 | Day callout - Standby |
Haytor Rocks | 06/07/1994 | Night callout |
Hexworthy | 07/07/1994 | School group missing in poor weather. |
South Sands Salcombe | 21/07/1994 | Day callout. 22 year old female missing after saying she was going for coast walk from her place of work Grafton Towers Hotel South Sands, Salcombe at 13:00 on 20th. at 12:22 on the 21st a body was found in undergrowth beneath a 45-foot cliff by a search dog on the coastal footpath near Stink Cove. Unfortunately, the body became a crime scene as the young lady had been brutally murdered. The lady's murderer could not be questioned as he left a confession note before hanging himself on the 7th August 1994. Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA. |
Cheriton Bishop | 29/07/1994 | Callout 08:35 Search for a missing lady in her 40's who had been last seen leaving a friends house in a 'happy mood' on 22nd July, but was known to be unstable. Lady found by search dog at 10:30 and was given food and drink before being evacuated. |
Fernworthy Gate | 23/10/1994 | Night callout. 8 nurses and a T.A. Captain on a charity walk had requested help 2 had minor injuries and were tired. They thought they were in NE of Great Kneeset Team found at 06:40 and evacuated by helicopter to Okehampton camp. They had remained in their position huddled together for warmth all night. 05:00 they decided to walk off, walked west for 1 hour, met a river and followed north until they heard a rescue team. They were surprised to find out that their position was actually incorrect by 5 - 6km. Okehampton, Tavistock, Plymouth and Ashburton. |
Haytor | 03/12/1994 | 18:45 Party of 5 cyclists missing in Haytor area. left Rock Inn at 15:00 to cycle to Becky Falls and return by 16:45. As callout was being made, phonecall from Rock Inn to say cyclists had returned but without their bikes! |
Maldon | 17/12/1994 | Day callout - standby. 78 year old missing believed to have been walking in Occombe Woods. As callout being organised lady was found with a broken arm and team stood down. |
Dartmouth | 01/01/1995 | Day callout. Missing pyschotic male on medication who left Dartmouth after New year celebrations to walk to Totnes where he had not arrived. Team RV (11:45) at Woodland Leisure Park where we were stood down as he had been located.. |
Badgers Holt | 01/01/1995 | 16:41 Family of 4 including 70 year old male and young boy overdue at Badgers Holt. Sighting of group confirmed on road and team stood down as making our way to RV |
Shipley Bridge - Didworthy | 11/01/1995 | 22:30 Extended callout (night and day). Missing (since 21:30) vulnerable male with learning difficulties and past history of going missing wearing inadequate clothing for freezing conditions. Found by SARDA search dog at 10:05. Search involved all Dartmoor teams. |
Sidmouth | 12/03/1995 | 14:15 85 year old male with dementia missing from a small hospital in Sidmouth since the 10th March. Police dogs and helicopter had failed to locate him. Team searched areas in between Newton Poppleford and Sidmouth following reported sighting of the male in those areas. Stood down at 19:00 with no further sightings. Conclusion on 15th March 1995, Police confirmed body of the man was located by Neighbourhood Watch in an elderly lady's back garden 200 yards from the hospital. He appears to have been climbing the fence when he fell. |
Holming Beam | 25/03/1995 | Night callout male injured walker who had fallen in to a bog reported as being NW of Rough Tor. Team responded alongside Tavistock and Plymouth. Casualty evacuated via long stretcher carry. |
Fernworthy Gate | 02/04/1995 | 16:15 Extended callout (night and day). Dry but poor visibility. 4 teenagers overdue on walk from Holming Beam to Sittaford moorgate. Tavistock walked route from Holming beam, Ashburton from Sittaford moorgate. Following considerable confusion the Police officer present managed to determine that the air ambulance had flown to Browns House and removed 2 casualties to Tavistock hospital after the other 2 had walked out and rasied alarm. Incident confused as separate reports made by teenagers and checkpoint adult. Whereabouts of the checkpoint adult wasn't available during operation. Ashburton, Tavistock and SARDA. |
Whitehorse Hill | 22/04/1995 | 10 members of College team trapped in snow storm, one member with hypothermia. Evacuation assistance rendered. Okehampton, Ashburton and SARDA. |
Newton Abbot | 07/05/1995 | Night callout Search for 7 year old boy missing from Bakers Park area of Newton Abbot. Eventually found by member of the public at 02:25 near a bridge over the River Lemon. Ashburton and SARDA. |
North Dartmoor | 13/05/1995 | 18 year old boy missing from Ten Tors team. Extensive search and enquiries made. Located fit and well at yelverton. Ashburton, Okehampton, Tavistock and SARDA deployed. |
Manga Hole | 14/05/1995 | Walker with knee injury sustained from fall in Manga Hole area during Ten Tors. Evacuated by helicopter. |
Exminster | 18/05/1995 | Day callout. 12:40 84-year-old man with Alzheimers and angina missing overnight from a residential care home in Exminster. Last seen outside the Swans Nest pub the night before at 21:20 Gentleman found at 2110 deceased partially submerged in a drainage ditch just off a footpath towards the canal. Suspected heart attack. |
Shipley Bridge | 27/07/1995 | Extended callout (night and day). 03:30 Search for 82 year old male absent from a Didsworthy nursing home. Despite assurance the nursing home had been properly searched by staff and Police, the missing male was located at 06:20 occupying a bed with another resident! Ashburton, Plymouth and SARDA involved. |
Chagford | 16/09/1995 | Day callout - standby Missing elderly woman in Chagford. Lady found before a callout being issued. |
Two Bridges | 21/10/1995 | Night callout 20:35 3 teenage boys missing from team of 8 from Dorset whilst recceeing an area between Longford Tor and Bellever Forest. Weather very cold and variable fog. They weren't carrying compasses, torches, maps or extra equipment. Found fit and well by foot team at 22:32 inbetween Longford and Powdermills attracting attention using a camera flash. |
Shipley Bridge - Didworthy | 05/12/1995 | Night callout. 16:35 Missing vulnerable person with learning difficulties from Didworthy Grange who had been reported missing on many previous occasions. Missing person was found in his bed at 04:50. It was estimated by the damp and muddy condition of his clothing that he had returned very shortly before minus his waterproof. Staff expressed their surprise as he had never before returned under his own volition. |
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
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 |
We are in the process of loading our callout data for previous years to when our new website went live in 2012.
Attendance at this incident was to help locate a despondent male. The team were deployed but did not locate the individual. He was found the following week by Police in an area outside of that which we had been asked to search. Regrettably he was deceased when found.
Attendance at this incident was to help locate a despondent female. She was located by Police in the vicinity of her home. The team were not deployed.
Attendance at this incident was requested by the Police to assist stranded motorists on the A38 at Haldon Hill. Sudden heavy snowfall had rendered the road impassable. The Team were engaged all night.
The Team were called by Okehampton Section to assist in locating a missing male with a heart condition. All Teams failed to locate the individual who was found the following day by the Police deceased.
Missing person was an adult male known to the Team. The Team was stood down at approx. 04:00hrs having failed to locate the misper. He was found by the Police the following morning in the Dartmeet area.
Missing person was an adult female. The Team was not deployed as the misper presented herself at a local farm. One member was engaged in the search helped by the fact he lived at the RV location.
Missing person was a 7 year-old boy. The Team were deployed and the misper was located by the first team on the ground within 15 minutes.
Missing person was a 17 year-old boy with learning difficulties and a mental-age of 4. After extensive searches involving other MR teams and the Police the misper was sighted by team members and using Police helicopter resources was recovered safe and well.
Missing person was located by the Police. Team stood down was en-route to location.
Missing persons were a group of 5 girls on a Duke of Edinburgh exercise. The Team were deployed at approx. 23:20 after Plymouth and Tavistock Sections had been searching during the earlier part of the day. The girls were located safe and well in their tents in the vicinity of Red Lake by a Tavistock hasty team.
The team were called at 23:00 to search for a missing elderly man in the Galmpton area of South Devon. Team members searched throughout the night in gale force winds before handing over to Plymouth colleagues to continue the search. The gentleman was found by a dog team from SARDA SW and was unfortunately deceased.
Our condolances are with the family.
A report from www.thisissdevon.co.uk dated Thursday December 22nd reported on the event as follows:
“AN extensive search and rescue operation for a missing Kingsbridge man was called off after his body was found at an isolated spot near his home.
Police grew concerned for the welfare of 86-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer Bernard Swann who had been missing for several days from home in the Coombe Park area of Galmpton, near Kingsbridge.
The police helicopter, coastguards and the Dartmoor Rescue Group were involved in an extensive search of the Kingsbridge area and coast.
The two-day search was called off on Friday, December 16, after the body of Mr Swann, who was not able to walk long distances, was found near his home.
Next of kin were informed and police were awaiting formal identification.”
Team called out to a missing person in the Lower Ashton area of Haldon Forest in the Teign Valley. Missing person located with assistance of helicopter and taken to hospital.
An archive on the incidents that the team were called to during 2011
This post includes a table of all the callouts the team responded to in 2011
A list of Incidents that the team were called out to during 2011
Incident Location | Date | Details |
---|---|---|
Hillhead Farm | 05/01/2011 | |
15/01/2011 | ||
Teignmouth | 01/03/2011 | |
Cullompton | 09/04/2011 | |
Bel Tor | 23/04/2011 | |
Saltram House, Plymouth | 09/05/2011 | Assistance to DSRt Plymouth with missing vulnerable female |
Fernworthy | 28/05/2011 | Missing partygoer, found deceased a few weeks later |
Haytor | 24/06/2011 | |
Dartington | 24/06/2011 | Missing 13 year old boy found in South Brent shortly after callout initiated |
Brimpts Farm | 19/07/2011 | |
Kenton | 19/07/2011 | Missing vulnerable female |
Harford | 25/07/2011 | Missing elderly walker who eventually turned up at Princetown |
Dartmouth | 12/08/2011 | |
Kingswear | 23/08/2011 | Missing depressed alcoholic male, turned up at Dartmouth Hospital |
Woolacombe | 30/09/2011 | Assist Okehampton and Exmoor SaR teams for elderly tourist with dimentia. Found deceased much later on |
Chudleigh | 01/10/2011 | |
Dartmoor | 02/10/2011 | |
Hound Tor | 04/10/2011 | Missing dog walker? |
Chudleigh | 06/11/2011 | Missing person showed up shortly after callout initiated |
Hound Tor | 13/11/2011 | Missing dog walker |
Powderham | 02/12/2011 | |
Galmpton, Hope Cove | 14/12/2011 | Missing elderly male with dimentia. Found deceased by search dog team |
Lower Ashton | 26/12/2011 | Missing young vulnerable make. Located by Seaking helicopter from RAF Chivenor |
The team were called out this evening to search for a group of overdue canoeists. Fortunately the canoeists were located before the team were deployed in the search area.
Search for a high risk missing person in Churston Ferrers. After an extensive and lengthy overnight search we were stood down. Plymouth and Tavistock teams resumed the search over the weekend. Unfortunately a body was found by Police in Brixham on the Sunday afternoon.
Call out for a high risk missing person in the Salcombe area. We joined forces with the Plymouth Team and despite numerous hours of searching into the night we were unsuccessful in locating the person.
Sadly he was found the following day in the sea. Our condolences go to his relatives.
Callout 40yr old female walker lost in the Haytor area of Dartmoor National Park. The casualty was evacuated by Ambulance before team deployed.
Female despondent reported in the River Ash; evacuated by the Fire Service before team deployed. Stood down en route.
Two young female horse-riders overdue in the Hembury Woods area. Found by Police with assistance from the our volunteers.
The team were called out today to search for a missing male walker.
The team were called out to search for a missing female despondent.
The team were called out today to search for a female despondent in Exeter
The team was called out today to assist the Air Ambulance in the evacuation of a male climber who had fallen from the tor and sustained multiple serious injuries. The casualty was evacuated to the Devon Air Ambulance by our team members and airlifted to hospital.
We hope he makes a speedy recovery.
The team were called out today to evacuate a female walker with an ankle injury from Haytor.
Callout – Team called out to assist with the evacuation of residents at Yealmpton due to high levels of floodwater. Following this initial callout we received a second call to Exeter where it was reported that somebody had fallen in the River Exe.
Despite extensive searching that included the find of some clothing that may or may not have been linked, the team was stood down in the late afternoon with no further information forthcoming. It was suspected that the person in the water could have been mistaken as river debris such as a partially submerged log.
Callout. Team called out to assist with search around Exeter Quay following reports of somebody being spotted in difficulty in the River Exe.
Team search banks for 4 hours, and were stood down around 3PM. Call, although with good intention, was probably a false alarm with no persons reported missing or found.
The team were called out today to evacuate a female walker with an ankle injury from Redlake on the south of Dartmoor National Park.
The team Land Rover was able to reach the walker and evacuate her safely.
Callout Team called to assist the North Dartmoor team with an unconscious casualty at Sittaford Moor Gate.
The Devon Air ambulance evacuated and the team were stood down.
Callout to Spitchwick to assist South West Ambulance Trust with evacuation of a male with a head injury
The team were put on alert at 07:56am then called out at 10:05am to assist the Plymouth team in searching for a group of Scouts who had gone missing.
Scouts were found safe and well in the Peat Cot area and our team were stood down at 11:02am
The team were called at 16:24 to rescue a teenage female casualty from Berkshire who had injured her leg around Ryder’s Rock’s near Shipley Bridge.
The girl, who was on a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, suffered serious leg injuries in an accident at Shipley Bridge, near South Brent, and was evacuated to hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery
Callout to Deeper Marsh Spitchwick as a male had injured himself whilst ‘tomb-stoning’. The male was airlifted to hospital with an ankle injury.
Devon and Cornwall Police were alerted when carers called on Mrs Street at about 6pm. The last possible sighting of Mrs Street was around 1.30-1.45pm in the Occombe Farm shop at Preston.
A Police spokesman said “We are treating Mrs Street as high risk due to medical conditions and have had officers supported by the Police helicopter, Coastguard and Dartmoor Rescue Group involved in the search.”
Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton searched overnight with help from the Plymouth team as well as a SARDA SW search dog.
Margaret Street has been found safe and well just after 14:15 today. Police and Ambulance crews were on scene. All 4 of the Dartmoor Rescue Group (Ashburton, Plymouth, Tavistock & North Dartmoor) were involved overnight and today, as well as 4 dog teams and their handlers from SARDA SW.
Police officers became concerned for the safety of the 76-year-old who was reported missing from her home in Torquay on Sunday 12 August. A police spokesman said: “We would like to thank the public for their support and help in finding her safe.”
We assisted the land ambulance crew in the evacuation to the hospital of a 70-year-old female who had slipped and sustained a suspected broken ankle whilst out walking around Haytor.
Called out at 11.30am to pick up an injured male at Spitchwick. Stood down at 11.45am as he had been evacuated by helicopter.
The team were called out at 11:20 to assist Police with a search for a missing male in Totnes on Saturday, searching woodland around the area. We managed to turn out around 15 from the team plus cover the Moor 2 Sea cycle race at Ashburton. The team searched throughout the day and were stood down at 18:57
The man had become separated from his wife earlier in the day and despite searches by Police Officers and the Police helicopter, there was no trace of the individual
Dartmoor Rescue Ashburton volunteers were deployed and began searching the area in and around Widecombe. Shortly after our deployment, the man was located at his home in the South Hams and we were stood down.
The team were called out on the 4th October to pick up a very cold and lost jogger at around 10pm near Spurrels Cross.
He was located using an app called SARloc that pinpointed him using the GPS functionality on his mobile. He was very happy to see a small band of Police & Dartmoor Rescue team members
Members from Ashburton joined colleagues in DSRT Tavistock and DSRT Plymouth on a callout to Down Tor on early on Saturday evening the 3rd November.
The callout during the Group Training Weekend was raised when a male walker sustained a lower leg injury whilst out walking around Down Tor. He was being attended by a paramedic from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust who needed assistance from Dartmoor Rescue to evacuate the casualty about a 1Km to the waiting ambulance at Norsworthy Bridge.
A tricky stretcher carry on slippery and in places, muddy terrain with various stone wall obstacles was successfully negotiated by members from all the 3 teams involved working seamlessly together.
A happy outcome and we wish the gentleman involved a very speedy recovery.
UPDATE: The gentleman concerned is part of the Plymouth Civic Society and he wrote a very nice piece about his experience that he posted on the society’s website. http://www.
The piece is copied below:
DARTMOOR HEROES
Concerned as we are with civic matters, we don’t very often appreciate those volunteer civic organisations that provide life saving services. This webmaster has cause to be thankful to the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group who came to his aid after suffering a broken ankle while climbing Down Tor near Burrator.
Failing light and wrong footwear had led to catastrophic consequences but a 999 call brought a paramedic from Tavistock who located me in the rain and darkness with the help of my wife. Further calls to the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group found all four rescue teams (Ashburton, Plymouth, Tavistock and Okehampton) on a training weekend in Okehampton. All four teams came to Burrator, some 35 persons in all including the paramedic and ambulance crew from Derriford. We must have made a strange sight – the bright helmet lights in the darkness surrounding the stretcher relaying me through the scree and mud to safety, and eventually on to Derriford Hospital.
In all, a humbling experience and my gratitude to all concerned.
The gentleman concerned also wrote to the Dartmoor Rescue Group secretary expressing his gratitude.
We were called out at 0245 today 24th Dec to search for a missing person after Police received reports of a road traffic collision in Dartmoor National Park near Challacombe Cross (between Moretonhampstead and the Warren House Inn), but were unable to locate the driver.
Team members were arriving at the rendezvous car park and discussing search plans when one of our volunteers spotted a lone walker walking along the road. A short conversation revealed he was the person we were looking for and he was handed over to the Police.
Dartmoor Rescue volunteers were called to the Parke estate near Bovey Tracey following reports that a male had threatened suicide before leaving the National Park office.
The search involved our volunteers as well as the Police and a Seaking helicopter from RAF Chivenor with specialist heat sensitive camera equipment. After 7 hours of searching the River Bovey, fields and woodland, the team was stood down around 22:20. Although the gentleman’s van was located, no further sightings of the man had been reported.
UPDATE 7th January 2013: The man has returned home safe and well. http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/Missing-Bovey-Tracey-man/story-17782256-detail/story.html
The team were called to assist South West Ambulance Trust with a lower leg sledging injury at Yartor Down near Dartmeet at 6:30pm on the evening of the 23rd January.
The team arrived through some very snowy country to assist with a young 18-year-old female sledger from Paignton with a suspected fractured leg. It had been snowing on and off during the day and when our volunteers arrived the moor was covered in a thick carpet of snow with more falling and dense hill fog.
Once the casualty’s location was ascertained she was attended to by team doctor, nurse and the ambulance paramedic. She was very cold and a little hypothermic so her injury was stabilised before she was transferred on to our stretcher and transported back to the waiting ambulance.
A successful result . The casualty has contacted us since the accident to confirm she has broken her ankle and it’s a little sore. We wish her well and hope she is back on her feet again soon.
The incident was reported on by the BBC. Their report is at the following link. http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-21176575
The team were called out this afternoon to search woodlands in Torquay for a missing 47-year-old. Fortunately, the Individual was located quickly and the team stood down before being deployed.
The team were called by The Police at 8:15 pm on the evening of Saturday 16th February as they were concerned about the welfare of 3 overdue kayakers on the upper Dart Valley.
Just before nightfall they had been passed by other kayakers who reported them as having difficulties around Euthanasia Falls. On arrival the Police monitored the usual exit points of the gorge for signs of the 3 but when they didn’t appear, we were called to search the upper Dart and the gorge.
Our teams compromising of our Level 2 and 3 Specialist Swift Water Technicians and the South West Ambulance Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) swept the gorge from Newbridge up to Hockinston Marsh but no signs of the kayakers or their equipment was spotted and the team were stood down around Midnight.
Since the callout we have been contacted by a member of the public who believes that their group was the one in question. Three of their party decided to walk out at about 4.30 pm when a few hundred metres below Euthanasia falls. They were well equipped with map, bothy bag, torches, mobile phone etc. The other members of the party finished at Newbridge and drove up to meet them on the track near Venford Reservoir and take them back to lodgings. A group of paddlers did see them but they were given the thumbs up.
We appreciate the contact we have had from the paddling community and are very pleased that all were safe and well. We would rather be called out and not be needed than not be called which often leads to tragedy.
For those of you visiting the Paddlers Party at the River Dart Country Park on March 2nd, do come and say hi as we will have some of our Swift Water specialists at the event.
Happy paddling!
A 15 year old with learning difficulties had gone missing in the Dartington area near Totnes.
Fortunately the Police located the teenager safe and well before our team of volunteers was deployed.
In the early hours of the 13th March, a 50 year old female went missing from her home in the Tregeare area near Launceston in Cornwall. Our colleagues at Cornwall Search and Rescue Team were asked to assist the Police in the search but were unable to locate her.
North Dartmoor and Tavistock Search and Rescue teams were deployed in the afternoon to help with the search that carried on into the evening. As temperatures dropped to around freezing Plymouth Search and Rescue and ourselves were asked to continue the search overnight until around 6am. On Thursday the 15th, Exmoor Search and Rescue Team were also deployed with the search being supported throughout by SARDA search and rescue dogs. This is one of the largest regional responses to a search in recent years.
A representative from our team said “All the members of all the mountain rescue teams involved, including the SARDA search dogs, are unpaid volunteers relying almost entirely on the generosity of the public for donations and fundraising to maintain and keep serviceable our specialist equipment and vehicles. We are all working hard along with the local community and the Police for a safe and positive outcome”
Great news as search comes to a safe conclusion.
A team member who lived locally to the Bovey Valley, was tasked by our Team Leader to assist the Police with locating a family who had called for help after losing their way in the Bovey Valley Woods area between Bovey Tracey and Lustleigh Cleave.
One member of their party, an 8 year old, was reported as cold, having fallen in the water, however they advised us that they were able to deal with this themselves and were able to walk.
The Team Leader was involved in conversations between Police control room, a member of the missing party and the Police helicopter, in order to establish their location and direct them to a place of safety. Meanwhile one Hill Party Leader was dispatched to attempt to locate the vehicle belonging to the party in order to establish where they had started their walk.
The party were soon located by the helicopter. As they were not far from a road, a member of the helicopter crew was landed to walk them out, where they were met by the DSRT Ashburton Hill Party Leader. One member of the party required treatment for an ankle injury and so was taken to rendezvous with an ambulance. The remainder of the party were assisted in returning to their vehicles.
All ended happily.
The team was tasked alongside our Coastguard search and rescue colleagues to cover a significant search area in the Watcombe area of Torquay. The search area included heathland popular with dogwalkers as well as a golf course and difficult terrain including cliffs and dense bramble scrub. The team searched for 8hrs throughout Easter Monday and were eventually stood down around 17:00 and handed over to a combined force of our Dartmoor Rescue colleagues at Plymouth & Okehampton to cover the last few remaining areas.
We were informed late on the 1st April that the misper presented to Torbay Hospital Accident & Emergency department at around 22:30.
A large team effort of multiple voluntary and full-time emergency service organisations worked along side each other throughout the search, including the Devon and Cornwall Police helicopter.
We are a voluntary organisation providing a search and rescue expertise to Devon and Cornwall Police 24 x 365. We are funded entirely by public donation receiving no central government funding at all. This year we need over £15,000 of donations to continue to operate. You can help by donating via the following link or by sending a text message to 70070 with the message DART02 £5 (You can donate more or less by changing the £5 in the message to £1, £3 or £10)
The team were called out at 15:45 on Friday 12th April to search for a missing 86 year old male.
We were called at 1900 today to assist a Ten Tors team in the Redlake area in Dartmoor National Park, in which one member had sustained an ankle injury. The casualty was being looked after by the party leaders near to Crossways, which despite being several kilometres from a road is accessible by Landrover via the disused Red Lake tramway.
This was a limited callout, involving 3 members. The casualty and 2 party leaders were evacuated to their vehicles and we returned to the Rescue Centre by 2300.
Thank you very much for your assistance yesterday evening on getting one of my team off the moor from the marker stone at SX 647 659,.
Your regular updates of where your members were to my two leaders was much appreciated. The injured team member was still unable to put weight on it the morning after the event and it has been confirmed by A and E as a damaged ligament….he is still hoping to do the event in 3 weeks time…..hopefully you won’t be needed again then!
Your helpfulness in getting the leaders back to their vehicles was also very much appreciated.
The team were called this afternoon to search for a Paignton mother who had been missing overnight. Police were concerned for her welfare, given the circumstances of her departure from home and after intensive investigation failed to give any indication of her whereabouts.
Following a meeting between the Police and a team Search Manager, the full team were called and a response of 20 members was expected initially with 8 more to follow. Teams from Plymouth and Okehampton were advised in case additional resources were required.
Fortunately, the missing person was found soon after the teams started their searches and we were stood down just 10 minutes after the call out.
Just under twenty team members responded to a request for assistance from DSRT Okehampton (Northmoor) last night around 22:00.
The team deployed to assist in a search for a missing woman. Shortly after our team’s started their search area’s a body was found by colleagues from Okehampton. Following this discovery, the search was suspended while the Police investigation continues.
The team were called this afternoon to assist the ambulance service with an evacuation from the Rippon Tor area of Dartmoor National Park of a casualty with a reported severe bleed.
On arrival at the RV the Devon Air Ambulance was in the area and treated the casualty for a lower leg injury at the scene before transferring to a land ambulance at the road head for transportation to the hospital.
Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton volunteers were called to the second team callout of the bank holiday Monday with thirty-five team members responding to a request for assistance from Devon & Cornwall Police last night around 18:35.
The team deployed to assist in a search for a missing female In the Newton Abbot area. Following a 4 hour search, the missing person was located and first aid performed along with Paramedic assistance. The lady was airlifted to Hospital but unfortunately did not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival.
The team’s thoughts are with the missing person’s family and friends.
Today the team were called to assist Devon and Cornwall Police with a missing person enquiry.
We were tasked to search various areas in the Paignton area as allocated by the Police as part of their Operation Seeker enquiry.
Magdalena Krawiec was last seen on CCTV leaving the place she was staying in Paignton at 8pm on Tuesday 14 May 2013.
Police and family members are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare after she didn’t turn up for work.
Magdalena is described as 5ft 10, white European, slim build with short brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black, PVC or leather coat, dark top, grey leggings or tight fitting jeans and a black top. She was carrying a shoulder bag, which may have been green, and wearing black shoes with white socks. Police are carrying out searches in Paignton for Magdalena and are being assisted by Dartmoor Search and Rescue – Ashburton and the Coastguard.
Anyone who sees her or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 232 of 15 May 2013.
The Police investigation continues.
Good news, Magdalena has been found safe and well.
At 5:30am the team were called to Rockbeare in East Devon to assist the Police and North Dartmoor Search and Rescue with a missing person enquiry.
An elderly lady was believed to have gone missing in the Rockbeare area to the East of Exeter. Further information received by the Police shortly after we were called resulted in the team being stood down about an hour after we were called.
The team were called after calls for help were heard in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Upper Dart Valley between Dartmeet and Newbridge.
The rescue involved Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton team members and some pretty amazing flying by RAF Chivenor. Fortunately, the individuals were located by team members and they were safe and well.
A woman and a five-year-old boy have died at Haytor Rocks.
The team were called to assist the emergency services with a tragic incident at Haytor.
A woman and a five-year-old boy died falling between 80-100ft (24-30m) at Haytor Rocks in Dartmoor National Park. A Devon and Cornwall Polic force spokesman said no formal identification has taken place but officers had begun a murder inquiry. Police added that nobody else was being sought in connection with the deaths.
Devon Air Ambulance, a police helicopter, park rangers and members of the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team at Ashburton went to Haytor after an incident was reported shortly before 12:00 BST.
Our thoughts are with the family.
A lone walker was reported overdue by his family on a walk on the moors on Friday evening that prompted a limited callout of team members to search for the man throughout the night and in to Saturday morning.
He returned home safe and well late Saturday morning.
At 8am this morning the team were called, along with North Dartmoor and SARDA search dog teams, to assist in a search for a high risk missing person on the outskirts of Exeter.
The ground included a mix of environments including urban streets, parkland and woodland with areas of dense bramble, nettles and scrub.
It has been a long day and we would just like to thank the members of the public who very kindly refreshed our volunteers with cups of tea and some food. It is very much appreciated.
On Friday 26 July Alma Royle was seen wearing a couple of slightly different outfits. When she went missing she was wearing either a red long sleeved top, black knee length skirt and black shoes, or a long green duffle coat, black knee length skirt and brown boots.
She is described as around 5ft 5ins, grey hair, proportionate build, active and sprightly. She does not have a stoop as mentioned in the previous release.
She was seen visiting the nearby Co-op store at different times on Friday.
Police believe she was last seen at 3pm in Heron Way, St Thomas, looking dazed and confused. She may have headed towards Cowick Street or the St Thomas area of Exeter.
Unfortunately a body was discovered by a local residents dog over a week later in dense undergrowth. Our thoughts are with the family
The team were again to continue the search into new areas for the missing Exeter pensioner Alma Royle. Alma went missing on Friday 26th July from the St Thomas area of Exeter and has not been seen since. Police are very concerned for her welfare and launched a large scale search investigation.
Unfortunately, no trace of Alma was discovered on this second callout and the investigation is still open and continues, Our thoughts are with her family and we continue to hope for a successful outcome.
The team were called at 15:51 to assist the Ambulance service with a female stranded on top of Haytor.
Fortunately the ambulance service moved the lady to safety and we were stood down whist on the way
Team callout, to a 60 year old male reported to be in distress this afternoon. We are happy to report that he turned up safe and well in the area of Venford Reservoir, after having been spotted on Buckfastleigh Down (below Pupers Hill) apparently confused and agitated
At 18:00 this evening we were called to assist the Westcountry Ambulance Service with the rescue of a young female casualty who had sustained a knee injury in the Upper Dart Gorge between Dartmeet and Newbridge in Dartmoor National Park.
Access into the gorge is difficult as it is steep sided and thick with gorse and ferns. Progress can be made along the river from both Newbridge and Dartmeet, although it is slow and difficult as slippery and narrow in places, and ill advised when the river level is high.
The grid reference location of the casualty was confirmed by the Seaking, Rescue 169 from RAF Chivenor as being adjacent the River Dart on the valley bottom, but as the casualty’s condition was not life threatening and the winch operation would have been tricky, a decision was made for our volunteers to evacuate the casualty by stretcher up the side of the gorge to a waiting land ambulance.
Fortunately we train regularly in the valley and have identified evacuation points should the need arise. Our team of volunteers assessed the casualty’s injuries, made her comfortable and transferred her to our stretcher. A rope system was rigged to lift the stretcher from the incident location and continue safely up the East side of the valley to Dr Blackall’s Drive where our Landrover Ambulance, DART52, transferred the casualty to the road head above Newbridge, and into the care of the Westcountry Ambulance Service
We would like to thank all our volunteers who attended the incident for the professional and efficient job they did in a very challenging location. We also wish the young female casualty a very speedy recovery.
Devon and Cornwall Police were concerned for a pensioner who went missing around 4pm on Tuesday 17th September.
Around 03:30 on the 18th, a full team callout was issued to assist the Police and HM Coastguard with a search for the gentleman around his home address in the Brixham / Churston Ferrers area of Torbay. Rescue 169 Seaking helicopter from RAF Chivenor was also deployed in the search.