Tavistock area teenagers triumphed over the annual Ten Tors challenge, even when one student had to be airlifted off Dartmoor.

A Tavistock College student had a dramatic premature end to his tough 35-mile trek when he was rescued off the moor during the event by helicopter for a medical emergency on Saturday, May 9.

However, in the true spirit of the mass hike, the setback did not deter his teammates who, movingly, carried on to the finish with his name written proudly on the team flag they carried as a tribute.

Tavistock College had been training all winter for the famous test of endurance and resilience and team work which attracted 2,400 adventurous young people on 35-mile, 45-mile and 55-mile hikes and wild camping.

Happily, there was a happy ending for the unlucky student who recovered enough to return to support his friends at the finish at Okehampton Army Camp the next day on Sunday.

James Buchanan, principal of Tavistock College, part of theDartmoor Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Every one of our students who crossed the finish line did so to huge cheers from the crowd.

“But for one team the experience was especially meaningful because the 35-mile B-team faced an unexpected setback when one member had to be medically evacuated from the moor by helicopter.

“Determined to finish together, the remaining team used this as motivation, carrying his name emblazoned on the school flag all the way to the end.

“Happily, he was able to return on Sunday to rejoin his teammates for the procession down the hill before the finish.”

James said the weekend of Ten Tors and the Jubilee Challenge (for young adults with special educational needs) was always a highlight of the school calendar and “never fails to inspire”.

This year, Tavistock College entered two 35-mile teams, one 45-mile team and an 8.7-mile and15-mile Jubilee Challenge teams.

All had trained for months through some of Dartmoor’s harshest cold and wet conditions.

Their tough preparation paid off, as 35-mile A-team student leader Will Martin confirmed. “The challenge was much easier than I thought and so much fun,’ he said.

Watching the Jubilee Challenge students set off was a particularly “deeply emotional” moment for many staff, said James, who said he was also affected.

He had joined the vast encampment under canvas on the Friday night before the start and even helped with the washing up, alongside school trust CEO, Rachel Shaw.

James said from that the Friday night camp at Okehampton basecamp to the glorious finish, the entire weekend was a “celebration of who these young people are and how far they have come”.

He added: “The soft skills developed along the way, of resilience, determination, self‑reliance and teamwork, will stay with them and support them in whatever path they choose to follow.”

James thanked staff and volunteers who gave up many weekends over three months training and supporting the teams: “Many completed Ten Tors themselves in the 1980s and 1990s, proof that this weekend is about creating lifetime memories.”