In what has been a busy week for call-outs and PR events, the team were called out this morning to assist police in the search for a missing elderly female. Suffering with dementia, she had gone missing from a care home overnight. As the team were arriving at the RV she was located at a previous address in Penzance, having had a lift from a passing motorist.

It’s only right that we should have another call-out, it being Thursday. This time the team were put on stand-by to resume a search at first light for a for a 70-year-old male missing in the Bude area. Members of North Dartmoor SRT and Dartmoor SRT - Tavistock had searched extensive areas overnight and we were to resume the search in daylight.

As final checks were being carried out, the male was located safe and well in Derriford hospital, having been picked up by an ambulance crew the previous day, so ours services were not needed and team members could head to work.

Yet another Thursday search for the team saw a large turn-out of members to help search for a 54-year-old woman missing along the Camel Trail near Bodmin. Several foot teams searched through the day and into the night, covering extensive areas surrounding the trail.

Team members were stood-down overnight, but returned on Friday morning to continue the search. Further areas were covered along the trail and some areas were searched again to ensure a high ‘probability of detection’. The search ran through until early afternoon when a body was located that is believed to be that of the missing female. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Elaine at this very difficult time.

Further media coverage can be found online.

The team were called out early evening to search for a 82-year-old male suffering from dementia missing from home in Perranwell. Following a very rapid and large facebook campaign, an initial search of ‘significant areas’ close to home shifted towards Devoran after a second credible sighting. Three foot teams and a SARDA dog team searched large areas between Perranwell and Devoran, with many good-spirited members of public joining the search, requiring some careful management!

At 23:30 the gentleman was located safe and well by a police dog team between Devoran and Bissoe and was reunited with his family.

Media coverage of the search is online here.

Early this morning the team were called to assist in the search for a despondent male in the Bude area, joining the local HM CoastGuard team. With Bude being right on the border of our operational area, we were just considering calling on the assistance of neighbouring North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team when the missing male was found safe and well locally.

The team were called to assist in the search for a missing 90 year old female with dementia in the Long Rock area. She was located by police and HM Coastguard prior to a full call out of the team.

Thursday evening saw new team members getting an introduction to working safely in and around water (whilst staying dry), but as is the norm these days this was followed by a call-out later that night. In the early hours of Friday the team were called to help search for a missing 85-year-old female with dementia, missing in the Tintagel area.

As team members were assembling and collecting vehicles, the elderly lady was located safe and well by Police resources, so members were stood down.

Another call out for a missing elderly female with dementia. Luckily the 80 year old was located as we were taking details.

The team’s second call-out of the day once again came on a regular training night. Members were called to help search for a 76-year-old dementia sufferer who had gone missing from a holiday park in Perranporth. As the search plan was finalised and teams were ready to deploy the elderly lady was found at a nearby golf club.

The team were called to assist in the search for a missing 69-year-old female in the Pendeen area. Foot teams joined Police and HM Coastguard rescue teams to search the cliffs and inland areas between Pendeen and Botallack, searching through to the early hours of the morning.

The team continued the search the next morning, alongside three HM Coastguard rescue teams, NPAS helicopter and the inshore and all-weather lifeboats from Sennen. With all of the core search areas covered, the team were stood-down early in the afternoon while investigations continue.

More details on the search are online here.

The 35th annual Ten Tors event on Bodmin Moor took part under blue skies and warm sunshine this year. The team completed two land rover evacuations of walkers who were unable to complete the event due to minor injuries.

With it being Dartmoor Ten Tors this weekend, many of the Dartmoor teams are tied up providing rescue cover. As a neighbouring team, we are thus available to backfill to cover any additional searches in the Dartmoor area. Yesterday an elderly gentleman was reported missing in the area around Meldon Reservoir and some spare members of the Dartmoor teams and members of Exmoor SRT searched through the night, with CSRT tasked to resume the search this morning.

As team members were deploying up to Dartmoor the gentleman, who was rather cold but well, was found by Police resources.

The team were put on standby this evening to search for a missing 65-year-old male in the St Austell area. The elderly gentleman, suffering from dementia, was thankfully found shortly afterwards by the Police and team members were stood down before flasks were filled.

The team provides rescue cover for the annual Bodmin Five Tors run, with over 200 runners covering the 8 mile course this year. With the route being rather muddy in parts, team cas-carers had to deal with the usual sprains, strains, grazes and Achilles problems, but a particularly nasty fall on the dismantled railway to Cheesewring Quarry required more immediate attention. The runner involved suffered head injuries requiring evacuation by the team to an Air Ambulance, which thankfully was able to land a matter of metres from the cas-site. We hope he’ll make a speedy recovery and be back running the hills soon.

The team were called out early evening to assist Devon & Cornwall Police in the search for a despondent 46-year-old male in the Carnon Downs area. Three foot teams and a SARDA search dog team deployed to areas of open ground before the missing male was located locally by the police later in the evening.