In case of emergency, dial 112 or 999 and ask for the Police

Standby 2013

Displaying items by tag: mountainrescuesearchdogsengland

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Saturday, 30 December 2023 11:09

Vunerable male - Sidmouth

Callout 27/2023 Sidmouth 03:52 11th November 2023

Just before 4am the team were contacted by Devon and Cornwall Police to assist in a multi-agency search for a vulnerable male. Eighteen of our volunteers and search dog Binny were involved in searching the heathland and wooded areas of Peak Hill just west of Sidmouth. The team stood down at just before 9am when the individual was found safe and well several miles away. This multi-agency search involved ourselves and Beer Coastguard Rescue Team and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Published in Callouts 2023

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

Saturday, 13 May 2023 09:24

Missing elderly gentleman, Higher Ashton

Callout 11/2023 - Higher Ashton 18:00 12th May 2023

The Team were alerted to search for an elderly gentleman with dementia who had left his home in Higher Ashton at lunchtime and had not returned. As the Team gathered, D&C Police collected sightings of him on a road leaving the village. Fortunately the DSRTA search dog teams were on Dartmoor for a SARDA training weekend, so we were joined by 3 other search dogs from across the country and the 5 dog teams were tasked to search likely areas along the road. As further foot teams were being formed the gentleman was found by one of the dog teams in the corner of a field. Luckily he had only sustained minor injuries, and could walk back to the road escorted by a team member, and was picked up by Land Rover and returned to his family who were anxiously waiting. After a quick medical check with a Team medic, he returned home with his family.

Our thanks to the Great Barn for use of their car park, and residents of Higher Ashton who laid on refreshments at the village hall.

Published in Callouts 2023

Friday, 20 January 2023 09:46

2 new 4-legged members

We are now proud to welcome two new team members, brother and sister Mountain Rescue Search Dogs Amber and Binnie (aka Bill). They passed rigorous assessment, searching five areas on mountains in the Lake District over the last three days.

Throughout their intensive training they have shown what a huge asset they will be on call-outs, and it is the first time we have had dogs on our team in over fifteen years.

Congratulations

to their handlers Paula Holbrook and Chris Tuckett, who have continued with their other team responsibilities in addition to the demands of search dog training locally on #dartmoor three times a week and nationally in UK mountainous regions for three days a month.

Thank you to team members and other volunteers, in particular Pete Sherman, for countless hours hiding waiting to be found. In reality, it is these brave 'bodies' that train and motivate the dogs to find.

All 4 newly qualified search dogs in the region featured on BBC Spotlight recently - here's a video of the report

Published in News