The Ashburton Search and Rescue Team, who are relied on by the emergency services for searching and technical rescues among other expertise, saw a 58 per cent rise in the number of shouts during 2020.
August proved to be the team’s busiest month with 10 callouts. During the 12-month period, 28 of the incidents were within the Dartmoor National Park area, 16 in other rural environments and five in urban settings.
The team also supported the ambulance service on nine occasions, including in one exercise offering a technical rope rescue for a seriously injured climber.
They also responded to the flooding in December on the River Lynher in Cornwall where they helped evacuate residents from their homes.
More routine callouts during the year included searching for injured walkers on the moor and others who misjudged their navigation abilities.
However, alongside the significant rise in callouts the team had to contend with a 50 per cent loss in fundraising.
The pandemic has forced the cancellation of some of the charity’s most popular events such as the Templer Way walk and the guided night walks on the moor.
Team Leader, Keith Lambeth, said: ‘The increase in callouts for the last year have not just been in terms of quantity, but also in terms of technical complexity and duration and it is a testament to the professional nature of our training and the commitment of our members that this has been possible.
‘The past 12 months have seen us carry out searches that have lasted more than three days, technical rescues on steep and vertical ground, rescue of injured people in difficult terrain as well as flood rescue and searching. All alongside our more usual work of large area searching.’
However, despite the covid pandemic the team have remained available to those in need throughout the year.
Keith added: ‘In this time of lockdown we are very grateful to all those who are supporting us financially through fundraising as well as our friends and families who make it possible for us to attend callouts day and night.
‘Above all we are grateful to those who are staying safe and staying local for their daily exercise.
‘Their sacrifice is helping the team avoid increasing their exposure to COVID meaning that we are able to respond to emergencies such as the flooding in December.
‘Carry on staying safe and we look forward to seeing everyone on the hill in happier