2026 Callouts
3rd and 4th June
At around 1730, the team were asked to assist the Police with searching for a high-risk male, missing from Derriford Hospital. The team deployed to the heavily wooded area to the south of the hospital to comb the area where it was suspected he might be.
With the light failing, we were stood down for the evening around 10pm with no sightings.
The next day, on the 4th, the team deployed again to the same location to re-evaluate some extremely difficult terrain and potential new locations where the Police suspected he might have gone.
After a whole day’s searching the wooded area and bringing in search dogs, sadly the body of the male in question was discovered in heavy overgrowth.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased.
29th and 30th April
Another unexploded bomb evacuation! We were called out to assist the police at around 2030 with the evacuation of part of Southway due to a massive unexploded WW2 bomb.
After dividing up the teams and required areas for evacuation, we got to work again with our sister search team from Tavistock, the Coastguard and other emergency services late into the night to create a cordon around the bomb site.
We eventually stood down around 3am.
The following day, on the 30th we were tasked to widen the cordon by an extra hundred metres or so. Again we deployed to the area, speaking to residents in the exclusion zone to encourage any remaining to leave, and to gather numbers of those staying.
It was another great result with the bomb eventually being detonated in-situ on the 1st May
28th April
At 15:15 we had a full team callout to the National Trust property, Saltram Park, to assist in looking for a high risk missing male.
On arrival, teams were sent out to search various areas of the park and at 18:15 he was located safe and well within this area.
1st April
At around 4pm, we were called to assist the Ambulance Service with a 13yr male who had fallen down a slope and twisted his ankle on the South West Coast Path, near to Kingsand in Cornwall.
Shortly after arriving on site, the casualty was assisted to the waiting Ambulance and taken for further treatment.
27th March
At 21:38 we were called to find and treat a 16yr old male who was on the Moor, doing Ten Tors training. He had been reported as hypothermic and immobile. Our team deployed near to Ivybridge, and then continued up the Puffing Billy track on foot and with our Landrovers to the expected location.
He was found shortly thereafter and treated for hypothermia and exposure, being handed over to the Ambulance on return to Ivybridge around midnight.
22nd March
The team were called at 09:14 to Harford Moor to a 16 year old girl who had suffered an asthma attack whilst on a D of E gold practice expedition.
Members of our team were quickly on scene, and started assessing the casualty.
Devon Air ambulance and SWAST arrived on scene shortly after, continuing with the assessment. The casualty was taken off the moor via 4x4, back to the road head, for further assessment and subsequent onward transportation.
16th March
A 72yr old lady had fallen into the river near Bere Alston and broken her ankle. Since this was on our sister team of Tavistock’s area, we were asked to assist them with the evacuation and stretcher carry-off to a waiting ambulance.
She was successfully removed from the water and was taken to hospital for further treatment.
7th March
We were called at 15:39 to locate a missing walker in the Lee Moor area, who had been missing overnight. However, soon after being deployed, he was located by the police, all safe and well.
8th February
Not quite a callout, but an incredibly fortuitous set of circumstances for this casualty.
What are the chances of falling directly into the path of a Mountain Rescue Team?!
Team members from DSRT Plymouth were in the Scottish Highlands this week for some winter skills training. A group of 5 were climbing Ben Nevis when they witnessed a lone walker slide and tumble over 150 metres across steep rocky terrain from the zigzag path. The group immediately responded, finding the casualty hidden from view but conscious. He was unable to walk so stretcher extraction was required. Shelter and pain relief were provided by the team, which (fortunately for the casualty) comprised experienced Hill Party Leaders and an Emergency Medicine Consultant from Derriford Hospital.
They contacted Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team who responded with warming equipment and stretcher, and DSRTP team members assisted with the carry-off to the waiting ambulance. Conditions were severe but the team were well equipped, and happened to be in the right place at the right time.
See Lochaber’s video of the rescue here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/25928731333406101
Great result and thank you to Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team for a tour of the base afterwards.
15th January
Our first callout of the year and echoes of the huge Keyham bomb evacation!
Along with our Search and Rescue colleagues from across Devon, all the emergency services, plus Devon and Cornwall 4x4, we attended Exmouth to assist with the evacuation of several thousand homes, as a result of the discovery of a massive WW2 bomb in the harbour.
After arriving at around 6pm, the team was tasked with speaking to residents in the exclusion zone to encourage any remaining to leave, and to gather numbers of those staying.
We stood down at around 3am, with the Army Bomb Disposal team intending to tow the ordnance out to sea and dispose of it later that morning.
