A LONG-SERVING member of the Ashburton-based Dartmoor Search and Rescue team has died after collapsing during the Ten Tors event.

Pauline Richards, a search and rescue member for nearly three decades, collapsed suddenly on the moor on Sunday.

She was airlifted to Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital where she died the following day.

Her colleagues have paid tribute to Pauline who was a keen supporter and member of the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA) - and a popular handler with her dog Rags.

In a joint statement, Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Ashburton chairman Dr Tas Ali and team leader Keith Lambeth said: ‘Pauline always pitched in to the running of the team and had served on our team committee as well as holding team member and support team member roles.

‘We are going to miss her commitment, humour and friendship more than we can say.’

They added: ‘We’d like to take this opportunity to express our immense gratitude to our colleagues in our sister teams who supported us during this incident and to the Ministry of Defence who responded so swiftly to our request for help, also to former team member and Dartmoor National Park ranger Rob Steemson whose help was invaluable.

‘We were also fantastically supported by our colleagues from Devon 4x4 Response.’

The group said police and neighbouring teams were covering the Ashburton patch for a couple of days while colleagues ‘process our loss and take care of each other.’

The tribute to Pauline on the Ashburton team’s Facebook page carried a picture of Pauline ‘in her element, in her team jacket, giving a pup a cuddle.’