Dartmoor search and rescue prepare for summer

DARTMOOR Search and Rescue used this weekend's good weather as an opportunity to prepare for the summer season and hone their rope skills.

The Ashburton team headed out to Saddle Tor to prepare themselves for any rope-related rescue they may have to engage with over the busiest season of the year.

A spokesperson for the group said: 'The sun made an appearance this weekend so our Rope Team took full advantage of the glorious conditions to get out on the Moor and train.

'The steep northern side of Saddle Tor provided the perfect location to practice Rope rescues. Training these specialist skills enables us to conduct steep ground and crag rescues across Dartmoor and South Devon.

Dartmoor Search and Rescue – Ashburton is a search and rescue team of highly skilled and professional volunteer team members that is part of the Dartmoor Rescue Group (DRG). DRG was started in 1968 to assist the Police with the search for missing or injured walkers and climbers within the 365 square miles of the national park. The team is affiliated to Mountain Rescue England and Wales.

As the name suggests, the rescue centre is on the outskirts of Ashburton in Devon on the edge of South Dartmoor.  Their prime role has extended since the early days of DRG, now helping lost, missing, injured and vulnerable people, not just on Dartmoor, but also across South and East Devon from the moor to the coast including urban areas such as Torbay and Exeter. 

Although the police have the ultimate responsibility for responding to and investigating reports of missing persons, they will often request the services of volunteer Search and Rescue organisations such as Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Ashburton to assist in such matters.

The incidents Dartmoor Search and Rescue are called to include missing person enquiries such as searching for the vulnerable including, children, despondents and those with dementia. 

Dartmoor Search and Rescue are also qualified to Internationally recognised swift water rescue standards enabling us to assist with flooding and water incidents, as well as assisting the ambulance service with casualty evacuation in difficult to access rural areas. The team is part of the national Mountain Rescue response and can be called to assist at major incidents across England and Wales.