To call
out Dartmoor Search and Rescue Dial 999
If
you enjoy walking in any part of our beautiful
countryside you could get caught out by the weather, get
injured or make some navigational errors. We are here to
help, but you could do a lot to help yourself. Its easy
and common sense. Dartmoor can be VERY wet and VERY
windy, conditions can change quickly. A few easy
precautions can save you (and us) a lot of trouble.
1. Leave a note with your
family or friends saying where you are going and when
you expect to get back.
2. Don't forget to tell
them when you do get back!
3. On any walk think
about a quick way off the Moor if the weather turns
foul.
4. How much daylight is
left? Have you got a torch?
5. Is a member of the group tired or lagging
behind?
6.
If you are caught out on the Moor and can't get to
safety then try to find
cover
in the shelter of
a Tor or other feature.
7.
If you come off the Moor in a
different
location than expected and are sitting in a warm pub,
phone your family or the Police in case you become the
subject of a search and rescue mission!
8.
Don't rely on your
mobile
phone
working everywhere.
9.
Check the local
weather
forecast
BEFORE you venture outside. Click
here
to check the weather to give you a guide.
10.
Make sure that you are
equipped
for the
Moor - basic kit would include :-
-Emergency
food
in addition to
any planned meals - glucose sweets, biscuits, nuts etc.
-Map
1:25,000 and
compass - and know how to use them.
-Emergency
whistle
- six
blasts every minute is the recognised distress signal.
-A
working
torch
with spare bulb.
Powerful enough to signal with to help us find you.
-Small first aid kit - plasters + small bandages.
-Survival bag - as big as you are and bright orange
colour.
-Dry spare clothing in a plastic bag (and put your
mobile phone in one too).
-Good ankle supporting boots are a must.
-Waterproofs
are also a must
for Dartmoor !
Be aware of the standard
distress calls on whistles or torches......A
casualty would blow/flash SIX times a minute on their
whistle/torch, and would be answered by THREE
blasts/flashes from a Rescue Team.
We use horns that are
quite distinct from a whistle and carry well in the wind
to attract a search subject's attention.
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