Dramatic rescue as walker gets stuck waist-deep in mud on Dartmoor
AOL Travel
Updated
A pensioner became stuck in waist-deep mud while walking on Dartmoor in Devon and had to be rescued by helicopter.
The woman, thought to be in her 70s, called emergency services when she became stuck but there was poor phone reception.
She finally got through after a number of attempts and was heard saying "it's now up to my..." before the line dropped out.
After many rapid enquiries, including requests to mobile phone providers, it was established at about 2.15pm that the woman was not far from Brent Tor, north of Tavistock.
PIC: APEX 13/01/2014 A woman in her 70s has been rescued from waist-deep mud whilst walking on Dartmoor, Devon. Officers received a call from the woman on Saturday who said she was stuck on the moors. Mobile phone reception was poor and it was not clear initially where she was or why she was stuck. After several calls it became evident she was stuck in mud and things became more serious when she was heard to say: ?It?s now up to my...? and then the line dropped out. After a lot of rapid enquiries, including requests to mobile phone providers, it was established at about 2.15pm that the woman was not far from Brent Tor, north of Tavistock. The police helicopter was deployed as well as officers from Tavistock and Okehampton, and at 2.42pm the helicopter crew spotted the woman and directed officers to her. With assistance from a family of farmers, a ladder and an old door, officers managed to reach the woman and slowly extract her from the mud. PC Adrian Taylor, an air observer for the National Police Air Service, said: ?When we were called to assist we knew we needed to find her quickly as she was very distressed, cold and uncomfortable. ?The woman was completely stuck, up to her waist in thick mud, and unable to move. She was in the course of a small river and had simply sunk into an unexpectedly deep section of mud. ?Without the assistance of the helicopter, officers could have searched for hours without locating her.
"The woman was completely stuck, up to her waist in thick mud, and unable to move. She was in the course of a small river and had simply sunk into an unexpectedly deep section of mud.
"Without the assistance of the helicopter, officers could have searched for hours without locating her."
