The CRO Duty Controller was contacted by Yorkshire Ambulance Service to help identify the location of a serious road traffic accident through use of SARLOC – a computer software application available to mountain rescue teams that can help phone users to share the location of their smart phone. Volunteer hours:
A father reported that his daughter – ‘an experienced walker’ – had become separated from the rest of her party on Ingleborough. She had not been heard from for an hour and was believed not to have reached the summit, so the father was going to look for her. 24
CRO duty controllers were advised that a Three Peaks walker (m, 46), last seen at Ribblehead at 12.00 noon the previous day, had not returned to his car at Horton in Ribblesdale. All local hotels were phoned, in case the missing walker had stayed the night, and search planning was
A family visiting the waterfalls walk reported themselves lost in woodland. The CRO Duty Controller was able to contact the family on their mobile phone and established that they had found their way to Ingleton and were being directed to the waterfalls car park by a passerby. Volunteer hours: 0.5
A caller contacted North Yorkshire Police to ‘express concern’ for 2 male walkers she had seen some 2 and a half hours earlier on Ingleborough, because they looked as though they were ‘struggling and not well equipped’. Given the time elapsed, and the fact that ‘struggling and not well equipped’
A caller was concerned when two walkers didn’t return at the scheduled time from attempting the 3 Yorkshire Peaks walk. The last contact with the walkers said they were ‘lost’ and at least 2 hours from their car. Initial attempts to locate the walkers using the ‘Phonefind’ facility did not
Having dealt with incidents 25 and 26, whilst team members were sorting equipment in the visitor centre car park, the duty controller was approached by 2 walkers seeking advice. A friend had slipped and injured their ankle whilst walking on the cove top! Advice was given, and friends who had
Two 13-year old students (f) were reported missing from a school group between Gaping Gill and Ingleborough Cave. However, just as the duty controller was telephoning North Yorkshire Police’s Force Control Room for more information, they were reported to have been found. Volunteer hours: Negligible.
Members of a practice expedition group (3 m, 1 f; 16-18) reported themselves ‘lost at the summit of Ingleborough Hill’. Use of SARloc showed them to be on the path across Simon Fell Breast, which leads to Horton in Ribblesdale. They were persuaded to continue and were met, a few
An anxious relative reported a group of 10 Three Peaks walkers overdue. As it was a large group, with a guide, the duty controller advised that they be given more time and checked, from time to time, whether they had returned. They returned safely, having taken about 14 hours to

