Like most working dogs a mountain rescue search dog is trained to increase the efficiency of its handler. The agility and acute sensing ability of the dog helps a mountaineer who to trained in search techniques to be much more effective. Bonnie is a three year old German Shepherd Dog who passed first assessment as a search dog In February 1997

On 30th December at 7pm a cellphone call was diverted from Derbyshire Police to one of the local mountain rescue controllers Two walkers and their dog had been overtaken by darkness on Kinder Scout. They had no torch and had used their mobile phone to try and prevent a major search being mounted when their car was discovered in Edale.

As a storm was forecast it was decided to send a small section of the Edale Mountain Rescue team to take some torches up and escort the walkers to safety.

Five of us plus Bonnie including the team leader and one of the team's doctors set out from Grindsbrook Booth at 6pm. The Police and controllers having rung the walkers again were told they were on the edge path of the main Kinder Scout plateau at a point where a small stream falls over the crags into Grindsbrook, about 4Km from our start point and a climb of 300m.

We searched on our way towards the given location in three pairs, Bonnie and myself following about 500m behind Paul the doctor and his companion along the edge path which runs right round the plateau at an altitude of 600m.

The forecast storm had arrived by the time we reached the plateau and we were buffeted by gale force winds. The low cloud base had reduced visibility to 30m and the familiar path had turned to a trench of liquid mud. I trudged on looking after myself while the dog, apparently unconcerned by the conditions, used the wind to her advantage to search for a human scent.

Search dogs wear a "high visibility" jacket when they work. Bonnies coat has a pair of bells and a green chemical light fastened to it which appeared and disappeared in the mist as she quartered the moor to the north of the path.

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.

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.