As now seems the norm, Thursday evening training was again replaced with a call-out, assisting Devon & Cornwall Police to search for a missing male in the Bodmin Beacon area. Despite being so close to civilisation, this was very difficult terrain to cover and teams had to systematically work through knee-high vegetation.

Assisted by two SARDA search dog teams, foot teams were able to cover a large area of the Beacon, searching through to 1:30am. Thankfully just as the search was scaling back, the male returned to his home address some distance away.

Many thanks to Asda Bodmin as well, who very generously provided a selection of free sandwiches and drinks for the team during the night!

Late morning the team were called out to search ‘areas of interest’ for a missing 43-year-old male from St Austell. Two foot teams and a search dog team extensively searched the King’s Wood valley, until the male was located outside our wider search area mid-afternoon.

Yet another Thursday evening call-out, this time briefly cutting short team training in St Dennis and a PR visit to a local Scout group in Falmouth. The team were called to search for a 77-year-old female dementia-sufferer, missing from the Liskeard area, but thankfully she was found shortly afterwards by a police dog team and members were stood down en route.

With team members rested overnight, yesterday’s search continued with teams once again working in very difficult terrain, assisted by foot team members from Dartmoor SRT Tavistock.

Sadly a body was found during the search and all our thoughts are with the friends and family of the deceased at this time. Further news from Devon & Cornwall Police can be found here.

For the second time this year, a regular evening training session was cut short by a call-out, this time to search for a teenage male missing in the Liskeard area. Over 30 team members were able to attend, searching in very difficult conditions along a wooded valley to the west of the town. Assisted by a water team from Dartmoor SRT Tavistock, three SARDA search dog teams and a HM Coastguard helicopter, the area was searched through the night before being suspended just after 3am.

The team was called to search for an elderly male with dementia missing in rural countryside near to Grimscott. This area is actually covered by Dartmoor SRT Okehampton and as we were about to pass the job to them and offer our support, the male was located by police

At least two persons were reported to be stuck in the mud near to Town Quay at Truro. Police quickly rescued one person with a throwline however the second person could not be located. This prompted a major search of the mud flats and tidal areas involving HM Coastguard, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and Rescue helicopter 924.The team remained on stand by in case inland searches were required but were later stood down.

The team was requested to assist with a search at Lusty Glaze in Newquay for a despondent male. Given the coastal location, we awaited the outcome of initial searches by HM Coastguard before deployment.

The male was quickly located by police before a full search was required.

Early evening the team were called to assist in the search for an 81-year-old female suffering from dementia, missing in the Penzance area. The lady had been missing since early afternoon, but as the first team members were arriving at the RV she returned home safe and well, so the team were stood down.

This evening’s regular training for both east and west sections was cut short by a call-out for a search for a despondent teenage male in the Pool area.

All four team vehicles and 25 team members responded. After consultation with the police, the missing male was located safe and well close to home by team members.

Early morning the team were called to search areas of College and Argal Reservoir after concerns were raised over the welfare of a 29-year-old male missing since yesterday. As a small team and two vehicles were en route to the RV the male was located via social media, so the team were stood down.

The annual New Year’s Day run from Jamaica Inn up to Brown Willy (and back) went ahead earlier in some pretty terrible weather. Persistent rain and high winds made for a busy deployment for the team, who had to deal with a serious ankle injury and two cases of mild hypothermia. The ankle injury required stretcher evacuation to a team Land Rover and on to a waiting paramedic, and we hope a speedy recovery is made.

This was also a great introduction to the work of the team for our new trainees and we hope they’ve now dried out!