News & Incidents

Call outs

The team responds to about 30 incidents a year. A simple evacuation from the moors or woodland might only take a couple of hours, however a missing person search can be anywhere from 1 hour to several days and nights, with each operational period normally lasting up to 8 hours.

In the event of a call out, our team Incident Controllers are contacted by the police, fire or ambulance services, and if we are required to respond, a text message is sent to all of the team. A large number of the call outs are “non mountain rescue” – searching for vulnerable missing people in rural locations.

We regularly work with our neighbouring teams from West Cornwall, Dartmoor and Exmoor, as well as specialist resources from the Mountain Rescue Search Dogs – England.

5 jun

The team was called out by Devon and Cornwall Police to assist the ambulance service with a casualty who had taken a fall on the trail at Golitha Falls.

Our first team members were on scene within a few minutes, followed by our team vehicles and equipment. The casualty was given pain relief and treated for an ankle injury and stretchered to the car park where we organised onward transport to the local hospital.

We wish him a quick and full recovery, and thank Inkies for looking after us again with some hot and cold drinks after a speedy carry off!

19 may

Just as we had started our team training session in woods to the north of Bodmin, we received a call requesting our assistance with an injured mountain biker on the trails in Cardinham Woods.

Forestry Rangers, South Western Ambulance Service and Devon and Cornwall Police had been alerted to a 56 year old male who had taken a fall on steep ground and been unconscious for around ten minutes. We relocated to the incident and confirmed his location using a Phonefind message. The first team members on scene treated the male for suspected fractures to his ribs, collarbone and shoulder, and placed him on a vacuum mattress and provided pain relief. A long and slow carry through the narrow woodland trails then followed, handing over to the ambulance at the bottom of the forest which had arrived during the carry off.

We wish him a speedy recovery and thank the forestry rangers for their help and local knowledge.

18 May

Early on Wednesday evening the team was called to assist Devon and Cornwall Police in Looe to search for a high risk missing 81 year old lady. She was overdue returning from a walk and was suffering with dementia.

Due to the urgency of the search, we requested assistance from Dartmoor SRT Plymouth and also Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England, whilst HM Coastguard teams covered the coastal areas.

Fortunately we received information that the female had been tracked down in the Tencreek area following sightings from members of the public. Other than a bump on the head and being quite cold, she was otherwise well.

Many thanks to Plymouth team and the region's search dogs for their speedy response, along with the excellent sightings by members of the public which assisted to get help to the lady.

29 Apr

East Cornwall SRT was called by Devon and Cornwall Police to assist South Western Ambulance Service with an injured casualty on one of the paths at Golitha Falls.

Team members worked with the attending ambulance crew to locate and stabilise the casualty, who was suspected to have a head of femur fracture and other injuries. In a considerable amount of pain, our Team Doctor administered IV pain relief and other drugs to make her more comfortable.

The casualty was then carried in one of our vacuum mattresses on a team stretcher back to the car park to a waiting ambulance. We wish her a speedy recovery.

7 Apr

Devon and Cornwall Police requested assistance from the team to help search for an elderly lady who had gone missing earlier in the day.

Suffering from Alzheimers, she had wandered off from a location in Quethiock, Liskeard and there were increasing concerns for her safety.

As the first foot team was being deployed from the control vehicle the lady was spotted by a passing motorist and quickly returned to her family safe and well.

2 Apr

The team was called by Devon and Cornwall Police to assist South Western Ambulance Service Trust with an injured dog walker on moorland at Tregonetha Downs who had suffered an ankle injury.

Our first team member was on scene within fifteen minutes of the call out, arriving just as the casualty was being transferred in to the Cornwall Air Ambulance who had also been requested to assist.

The lady was flown to Treliske for further treatment. We wish her a speedy recovery.

29 Mar

Team members responded to a search in the Bude area for a 22 year old high risk missing male with severe autism.

Working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police, team members covered open countryside near to the point last seen, standing down when police obtained further information which indicated he may be well outside of the search area.

Fortunately the male was located the following day safe and well, over the border in Devon.

24 Feb

East Cornwall SRT and Dartmoor SRT Plymouth worked together assisting Saltash Police and Liskeard Police on a search in the Landrake area for a 14 year old high risk missing female.

Twenty volunteers from both rescue teams formed foot teams to search surrounding countryside, dodging the odd hail storm. Late in the morning the search was scaled back following police enquiries which revealed the missing person was likely to be outside of the search area.

She was subsequently found safe and well by police.

22 feb

East Cornwall SRT was deployed to assist with a search for a local 62 year old female who was reported missing.

13 team members searched surrounding countryside until the early hours, alongside coastguard teams, a lifeboat crew, and St Austell Police. We also requested assistance from West Cornwall team who were able to send up a further foot team to help locate her.

Sadly, during the search a find was made however they were confirmed to have passed away by our team doctor.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

12 feb

The team was requested to provide additional resources to an ongoing search on the outskirts of Plymouth for a high risk missing 46 year old male.

Ten team members attended along with our control vehicle and searched open ground and wooded areas alongside resources from Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, three search and rescue teams from Dartmoor, and Mountain Rescue Search Dogs.

The team stood down and returned to base late in the evening, with further searches expected the following day.

9 feb

West Cornwall Search & Rescue Team had been searching for a high risk missing 58 year old male the previous day, so Devon & Cornwall Police requested assistance from us to continue with their efforts by covering further areas. Eight team members travelled down to search rough ground surrounding Redruth Hospital and Carn Brea Hill.

Police dogs, the Force Support Group and National Police Air Service HQ also assisted, alongside the West Cornwall team who rejoined the search.

Following some thorough coverage of the immediate area, we stood down pending further taskings if required.

Police were later called to a location near Station Road, Pool on Friday 11 February following reports of a body having been located and found the body of a man in his 50’s belived to be the missing person

7 feb

At 18.24 the team was contacted by Devon and Cornwall Police to assist in the search for a high risk missing person in the Dunmere area of Bodmin.

As over a dozen team members and two vehicles were mobilising to site we were informed that the missing person had been located by police officers. Once satisfied that we were no longer required either for either medical support or casualty rescue our controller stood the team down.

1 feb

In a very similar incident to the one a week earlier at the same location, Devon & Cornwall Police requested the team assist with locating two lost walkers who dialled 999 when they became disorientated in thick mist during a birthday walk.

The walkers had set off from Rough Tor car park but rightly stayed put and waited for the team to contact them when they realised their predicament. A team controller called them and established they were on Roughtor Moors. They were talked off the hill where they were met by two team members who had been sent out to locate them.

We then gave them a lift back to the car park to continue with the birthday adventure.

23 jan

The team were contacted by Devon & Cornwall Police to assist with a search of the moor for a lady who had phoned her son to say she was lost having set off from Rough Tor car park. There was initially some confusion whether it was Rough Tor on Dartmoor or Bodmin Moor.

She had set off earlier in the day but unfortunately lost her map and her phone battery died shortly after she called for help. With day light starting to fade, team controllers made initial enquiries, during which the female managed to return to her car having become stuck on difficult and boggy ground near to Garrow Tor.

The lady has kindly been in touch with the team since to express her thanks from all of the team and Bodmin Police who responded so quickly. She was well equipped and sadly a victim of some bad luck, and we hope to see her back on the moor soon.