OKEHAMPTON section of the Dartmoor Rescue Group has a new controller who has been involved in numerous rescues and has taken more than 40 individuals to safety off the moor.

Andy Aiano, who is a Head of Year and learning support teacher at Okehampton College, frequently walks and climbs both in the UK and abroad.

He regularly trains youngsters for the Ten Tors event and takes groups on Dartmoor.

He said: 'I have a good knowledge of Dartmoor at any time of year, at any time of day or night!'

Andy, of Pound Park, Okehampton, has been in the Dartmoor Rescue Group for many years, progressing from a team member to becoming a team leader, then training officer for several years.

He is now controller after having attended a Mountain Rescue Council search management course in North Wales.

The DRG has being going for 30 years and its exploits include one rescue in the early 80s that went on for more than three days.

Ten years ago, rescue dogs from Okehampton were helping at Lockerbie following the air disaster.

Rescues which have made newspaper headlines include 1989 when two cadets were stretchered from Fur Tor; 1997 when Torpoint schoolgirls were lost on the moor and 1996 when snow resulted in the abandonment of the Ten Tors event and teams being brought off the moor.

Andy said the section trained to be ready not only for the 'everyday' occurrences such as broken ankles on the northern tors but also for the 'big ones' which happened on a regular basis.

He said: 'An increasing type of rescue is "off-moor" where the section is asked to look for elderly or confused persons missing from homes.

'These rescues are a team effort. The controller "fronts" the rescue but it is a combination of control team, walking teams, equipment team and logistic teams that brings about success.

'In addition, DRG is a registered charity and can only operate with the support of fundraising — no mountain rescue teams across the country seem to have had any success in getting Lottery funding.'

Andy continued: 'In looking to the future, I think there will be greater use of changing technology: our communications systems may possibly be digital, and soon it will be possible to use satellite navigation to give rescue teams areas to search by programming GPS (Global Positioning System) electronic devices before the teams set out.'

His interests include photography and DIY.