They were wet cold and hopelessly lost. In the fading light and driving rain one man could just make out the fearful, pained expression in his brother-in-laws face. In the total blackness, gale force winds and near Artic temperatures, they tried to take bearings but gentle becks had become loud, raging torrents. They seemed to be trapped. At 10pm a weak signal appeared on the mobile phone; a chance to get help -a call to home, just a bit of information but the signal was lost. At the Rescue Centre in Barnard Castle, Team Leader and Police worked urgently to try and piece together the position of the men. Soon after midnight twenty volunteers and their search dog Meg, were beginning to search, moving westwards on both sides of the Tees and the Pennine Way from Cronkley. Seven hours later team members were wading through the treacherous waters if Swarfbeck, trying to keep sight of Meg's black and white marking as she lead the team to the missing men. Everyone huddled together in a large survival tent as the men were treated for hypothermia and a Sea King helicopter was summoned from RAF Boulmer.


The Searchers that night had passed the spot where, in June 1968, a young man had slipped and drowned while crossing Maize Beck - the event that led to the formation of the Search and Rescue Team. Now many years later, the Team provides a highly skilled and efficient service to those lost or endangered in the Dales. Increasingly the Team's skills in locating vulnerable and missing people are being used by the police in areas away from the uplands. However it is in the harsh, demanding conditions of the North Pennines that the Team holds it monthly training to hone and develop the teamwork necessary to provide its highly respected yet voluntary service.

Team members also train on weekday evenings and the extent of skill and knowledge required of a Team member has grown considerably in recent years.

In addition to the core skills required to operate in such environments, Team members are trained in casualty care, crag rescue techniques, communications, search techniques etc.

Many Team members adopt specialist interests and gain more advanced skills and knowledge in areas such as casualty care, search management, crag rescue and river SAR techniques.

Crag rescue

Urban search

Snow rescues

Helicopters

Off road training

River training

Search management

Underground