WHILE most of were contemplating a day avoiding the rain volunteer rescue teams were out in force in atrocious weather on Dartmoor last weekend.

The Ashburton Section of the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team held a six-hour search and rescue exercise on the moor to brush up on their essential skills Saturday saw the team hold a the exercise based at Postbridge in central Dartmoor in what proved to be typical moorland weather – fog, rain and wind on the higher tops all of which made for challenging conditions on the ground.

A spokesperson for the team said: ‘This exercise allowed us to test every aspect of what we do from the deployment of large number of search teams, radio communications, searching for long periods in bad weather, providing first aid in remote locations and stretcher carries across difficult and often flooded terrain.’

Also taking part were representatives from their sister groups from Tavistock and North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Teams.

‘It also gave us the opportunity to work with our fantastic colleagues from the other Dartmoor teams’ continued the spokesperson.

‘We were also assisted by two mountain rescue search dogs and also had two police search advisors and an Army representative from the Ten Tors challenge in attendance to gain a better understand what we do.’

More than 40 people were involved in the exercise making it one of the largest in recent years. Rapid Relief Team (UK) provided hot drinks, hot food and shelter which were greatly appreciated by the search teams returning cold and wet with successfully located casualties from the hills.