National Search And Rescue Dog Association
Reg. Charity No. 1069110 |
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By 9 o'clock we had all met near the reported position of the two walkers having found nothing.
Kelvin Fallow our team leader was very concerned particularly as a radio conversation with the base in Edale revealed that the missing persons' cell phone battery was now flat. The rest of the Edale team and Geoff Allen with Haggis our other search dog team was called for what was now developing into a serious incident.
The conditions were too severe for me to continue to work alone with the dog so Nigel Lee who often accompanies us on dog searches walked with me on a new search pattern westward across the moor towards Crowden Tower. We made good progress by keeping off the boggy path and out of the peat groughs as we followed a compass bearing of about 290. After about 500m I thought I heard something unusual. It might have been because I saw Bonnie prick up her ears. In any case I called some encouragement to the dog and then we heard shouts and a distress whistle as her light bounced away into the darkness.
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Bonnie, Spider and Handler John at the first '98 assessment weekend |
The shouts and whistles increased as Nigel and I moved quickly after the dog and then some barking as well (not Bonnie - it was the missing persons dog, search dogs are trained to indicate a find by returning and then barking before leading their handler back to the casualty). Bonnie soon came back to us barking and jumping up (a muddy experience) and then we were with our two missing persons shaking hands, firing flares and sending radio messages.
By the time the others arrived one of the men had told us he had twisted his knee earlier in the day. The time was now 10.30 and it would take at least 3 hours to evacuate him on a stretcher, which was at least an hour away our hearts sank.
The only mistake the two walkers had made was to forget to pack a torch. However they were really embarrassed (I can understand, I don't think there is anyone in any rescue team who would not crawl off rather than be rescued). So the injured man limped off with the aid of two sticks, he was the evening's real hero. It was Midnight before we reached the Nags Head in Edale. My dogs and I get a great deal out of what we do but I sometimes feel guilty that I gain so much satisfaction from other people's misfortune. Still you don't get a find very often and no one was the worse for the experience.