A operation involving several emergency response services saw an elderly man rescued from Dartmoor on Tuesday afternoon after he slipped and injured his leg.

Volunteers from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton, emergency medics from BASICS Devon and personnel from the South West Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) came to the aid of the man after he slipped and fell at Saddle Tor, sustaining a suspected lower leg fracture.

After receiving a call at 12.30 on Tuesday (January 13) a BASICS Devon doctor and a volunteer from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton were first on scene. They were able to provide the casualty with shelter and warm clothing. Following a medical assessment, the medics administered pain relief and immobilised his leg.

Thankfully the two Dartmoor Rescue land rovers were able to drive off road to access the location. Working together with the ambulance HART team, the casualty was moved to the back of one of the land rovers and transported back to the car park and waiting land ambulance from South Western Ambulance Service Trust.

‘This was another callout where excellent inter-agency working provided the best pre-hospital care to the casualty and minimised their time getting to hospital,’ said a spokesperson from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton. ‘We wish the casualty a speedy recovery,’ the spokesperson added.

The team of 16 of Dartmoor Search and Rescue volunteers was stood down at 2.30pm.

This was the second Dartmoor Search and Rescue Ashburton call out this year after volunteers were called to another suspected broken leg near Haytor Rocks on Sunday (January 11).

The highly trained Dartmoor Search and Rescue volunteers are on call 24 hours a day seven days a week. The charity, which relies on donations to operate, responds to a wide range of incidents including missing person enquiries, steep ground rescue, swiftwater rescues and flooding.