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Callouts 2016

Displaying items by tag: dartmoor

Monday, 02 October 2023 10:38

Overdue walker - Combestone area

Callout 24/2023 Ryders Hill 20:00 30th September 2023

The team were called out just after 8pm on Saturday evening to look for a lost walker who was thought to be somewhere between Dunnabridge/Bellever Tor in the north and Holne Moor and Ryders Hill in the south and is an area in excess of 20 square kilometres.
In addition to the size of the area, the low visibility, wind and rain made for challenging searching conditions. As the search continued late into the night an on into Sunday morning we became increasing concerned for the ongoing welfare for the missing individual.
Our search teams were supplemented by a number of Devon & Cornwall Police officers. We were also supported by our sister teams from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team - Tavistock, North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team and 3 Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England teams (Paula & Amber, Chris & Binny, Jenny & Angus) and their navigators. Two Coastguard search teams were also in attendance. The Devon & Cornwall Police drone team were also deployed.
Shortly before 7am the missing walker was located by a team from North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team in the southern part of the search area. After being assessed they was found to be fit enough to escort off the moor and was then handed over to the full time emergency services. This large multi-agency search lasted for over 10 hours and involved in excess of 60 individuals from 7 organisations. We are pleased that it resulted in such a great outcome.
Published in Callouts 2023
Wednesday, 13 September 2023 17:31

Continued search at Chudleigh

Callout 21/2023 Chudleigh 18:00 6th September 2023

On Wednesday 6th September the team were asked for further support in the ongoing search for a missing person in the Chudleigh area. This followed our searches on Monday and further searching by other agencies since then. We agreed that the best resource to use at this time would be our 2 Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England dogs Binnie and Amber who are able to search difficult terrain that it had not been possible to search with other assets. They were deployed in the evening and completed their tasking at 2300.
We have since learned that the missing person has been found outside of our search areas but was sadly deceased. Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time.
Our Mountain Rescue Search Dogs are a highly specialised and proven search asset, capable of detecting human presence in areas which are not easily accessible to human searchers. Additionally, because of their capacity to detect human scent at a range of up to hundreds of metres in ideal conditions they can cover open areas at a much greater rate than their human counterparts.
Published in Callouts 2023
Wednesday, 13 September 2023 17:29

Missing vulnerable elderly person

Callout 20/2023 Chudleigh 13:00 5th September 2023

Whilst the previous call was underway, we were asked to stand by to assist in a search for a vulnerable elderly person who had missing from the Chudleigh area for the past 3 days. On completing the handover at Newbridge the team moved to Chudleigh and carried out extensive searches of high probability areas close to the home of the missing person. This included the difficult ground in and around Chudleigh Rocks and a number of other rural segments. Our colleagues from the Devon Cave Recue Organisation also searched the caves. We were joined later by our 2 search dogs and their handlers. Our searches were not successful and the team finally stood down at 2130. The Police enquiry remains ongoing. Our thoughts are with the family of the individual at this worrying time.

Published in Callouts 2023
Thursday, 08 August 2019 17:32

Families caught out by sudden Dartmoor mist

Families caught out by sudden Dartmoor mist

Callout 22/2019 -  Houndtor, 14:40 8th August 2019

Houndtor is a very popular destination for visitors to Dartmoor National Park and for good reason. It's a short distance from the road, is one of the moors more spectacular tors, has spectacular views across to Haytor and is home to the Houndtor Medieval Village which is well worth a visit by itself.
Houndtor Medieval Village in Dartmoor National Park
Houndtor Medieval Village. Photo credit: Al Pewsey
However the attraction of the area can cause problems for those unfamiliar with the terrain especially when the weather draws in.
On Thursday afternoon visitors to the area were enjoying all Dartmoor has to offer when the weather deteriorated reducing visibility to just metres. This caused a problem for 2 families who realised they had no idea how to get back to their car in the mist.
We were called by the Police and one of our members who happened to be close by at the time diverted his journey to the area on receiving the callout alert.

Dartmoor Rescue members joined Devon and Cornwall Police on site

He met the Police on site - one of the Police Officers happens to also be a team member - to find that the original callout for one family had turned out to be a call for two separate groups!
Our Search manager had already issued a 'SARloc' request to gain the exact location for both groups. (read more about SARloc here).
Our team member / Police Officer had already left to pick up one group near the tor itself whilst our second team member went to locate the second lady and her child who were at the Medieval Village.
The rather damp lady and her son were located at the medieval village. They’d been out having a look around and the mist descended and caught them out, so they were walked back to the carpark and handed over to the Police who had by now returned with the second group, Needless to say both groups were none the worse for their ordeal but had learnt a lot about the Dartmoor weather.
Not only was this a coincidence with two calls at once but also happened to be in the exact locations we were training in the night before.
Published in Callouts 2019

Callout 11/2019 -  Ryders Hill,  13:54 24th April 2019

Fire crews and volunteers are tackling 12 separate blazes across seven miles of south Dartmoor.

Crews on foot are using beaters and a range of specialist vehicles to fight fires in Dartmoor National Park

Photo credit: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Press articles

7 team members were called to act as drivers and navigators for fire service personnel when another blaze was reported on Ryder’s Hill.

After being stood to for several hours it became apparent that the newly reported blaze must have been a misreported sighting of the earlier fire. Team members and vehicles now heading for home.

 

 
Published in Callouts 2019
Sunday, 19 February 2017 08:16

Overdue Kayakers spark River Dart search

Overdue Kayakers spark River Dart search

Callout: 21:00 Sunday 19th February

21:00 on Sunday 19th February Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton were called by Devon and Cornwall Police due to concerns for two overdue kayakers on the upper section of the River Dart.

Ambulance

The pair had set off with a group from Dartmeet and after a while had decided to get out of the river and walk out to meet the rest of the group who had continued kayaking. When the pair didn’t reach the car park and darkness fell their friends alerted the police who then called the team out.

Believing the missing kayakers to be on the south bank of the river, two team members took a Land Rover upstream from New Bridge for a hasty search whilst the rest of the team prepared to carry out more thorough searches and our swift water technicians and rope experts prepared to carry out a technical evacuation if required.

5 foot search teams were sent to search both sides of the river. Thankfully the missing kayakers were located safe and well just before 23:00. They were walked to one of our Land Rovers and driven back to New Bridge to be reunited with their group.

An incident like this shows the importance of being prepared. It would have been dark under the trees in the valley before 1700; the missing kayakers didn’t have any torches with them so were in complete darkness for 6 hours. Thankfully it was quite a warm night. #BeAdventureSmart

Published in Callouts 2017
Thursday, 12 May 2016 09:26

Ten Tors Behind the Scenes

For over 40 years, Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton has been supporting the annual Ten Tors Expedition. Over 2,400 young people taking on the challenge of Ten Tors over 35, 45 or 55 miles, as well as the Jubilee Event that gives those with additional challenges the chance to get involved.

We camp at Sittaford Moor Gate for the weekend and this short video gives a behind the scenes look of what we get up too.

 

Published in News
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