DARTMOOR Search and Rescue Team (Tavistock) were called by the police at 5.04pm on Saturday (January 23) to search for three female walkers, who had reported themselves lost in the Rough Tor area, in thick mist and approaching darkness.

The walkers had made an error on leaving the Tor and believed they had gone further north, before starting to head south.

Assistance was requested from DSRT Plymouth as some of the Tavistock team had just finished an all day exercise on North Dartmoor and would be delayed in arriving.

A hasty search team was deployed from Holming Beam to head for Beardown Tor, Crow Tor and Rough Tor and another from Two Bridges to Longaford, Higher White and Lower White Tors.

After making phone contact with the walkers, DSRT Tavistock established that they had made good progress southwards and were walking along the Cowsic River.

They continued along the leat and rescuers picked them up at the roadside and transported them to the Two Bridges Hotel, to dry off and warm up.