Teenage boys rescued wet and cold from south Dartmoor
Callout 29/2018 - Redlake. 16:11 24th November 2018
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.
Their location was just north of Redlake ford and fortunately for them, close to the Puffing Billy Track, a track along which Landrovers could be driven.
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.”