A disorientated walker was rescued after a large search operation, including a police helicopter, was mounted when his cries for help were heard in a North Yorkshire woodland last night (Saturday, February 24).
Members of the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team were scrambled to the Clay Bank area of Great Broughton, when police called them in to help.
The team sent a Land Rover with four personnel to liaise with police at the scene, while the rest of the team were put on standby. A National Police Air Service helicopter was also involved.
A spokesperson said: “After receiving an update from the police, it was decided that a call-out of the full team was necessary to search for the man.
"But before that took place he was located by a police drone, in woodland at Broughton Plantation, to the west of Clay Bank.
"He had been walking in the area and had become disorientated and, unable to continue, had resorted to shouting for help - the police had been alerted by someone in the area who fortunately had heard him shouting."
The mountain rescue volunteers were asked to use their Land Rover to extract him from the woodland but because of the ground conditions, going was difficult with snow chains even being used at one point to cope with the muddy tracks.
Eventually the crew had to continue on foot for about 500-metres to meet up with the police and the casualty.
He was assessed but other than being very wet and extremely cold in the freezing weather, he had only suffered some minor grazes.
The spokesperson added: "After being warmed up in a ‘casualty bag’ and monitored for a while he was then well enough to be walked to the Land Rover.
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"By that time the team had managed to get it closer. Then he was driven to Clay Bank carpark from where he was later collected by family members."
"The incident lasted four hours - not counting the cleaning time for the Land Rover & equipment plus four pairs of boots and clothing in the morning
"It was excellent work by the NYP officers at the scene in locating the casualty by drone and getting to him quickly.
"Given the conditions the outcome could have been very different had he not been found."
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