DISASTER was averted early last Sunday morning after an army LandRover careered down a slope on the west of Dartmoor. The incident occurred at High Down, near Lydford, and saw a, thankfully unmanned, LandRover roll around 200 metres down a steep slope before crashing into the River Lyd. The LandRover was under the control of two Royal Engineers, who were taking part in a training exercise. Had they been in the vehicle the outcome could have been far worse. The real damage was sustained by the LandRover, which had a battered bonnet and bent wheel arches. There was also some damage done to the landscape. High Down is a remote and inaccessible area of Dartmoor. Due to this the LandRover was too damaged to be driven off the moor and was airlifted back to Okehampton Camp by helicopter on Wednesday. It will then be taken to a Royal Engineers depot. The cause of the crash is unknown. An army spokesman said: 'It is too early in the investigation to speculate as to the cause of the accident. 'The vehicle was damaged but no one was hurt, the two engineers having jumped clear at the time.' Lt Col Tony Clark, Dartmoor Commandant, said: 'If we find there is someone guilty in this then they will be held accountable for their actions. 'We are very conscious of the potential environmental damage and have already conducted a sweep of the area to make sure there was no spilt oil. 'We are aware that we need to look after Dartmoor which is why will we spare no expense in sending a helicopter to retrieve the Land Rover and so lessen the impact to the environment in getting it off the moor.'
