21 Apr 2008 : Cannock Chase search for rescue team

Derby Mountain rescue team search for missing person

On Tuesday evening at 18:56 hrs (15th April, 2008), Derby Mountain Rescue Team were called out to search for a missing person after Staffordshire police received details of a distress call from a 49 year old female earlier that afternoon. Police traced the phone signal to the Cannock area and called out the Derby team to help locate the woman as she was believed to be somewhere in the vast woodland area of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.

Eighteen members of Derby Mountain Rescue Team , along with 2 SARDA (Search and Rescue Dogs Association) search dogs and a helicopter from the West Midlands and Staffordshire Police Air Support Unit joined in the search in the heavily wooded area. The helicopter made a possible sighting at 9pm and a police officer and rescue team members located the woman 20 minutes later. She was treated on the scene by team members for a lower leg injury and cold before being evacuated to a waiting ambulance to be taken to hospital for further treatment.

Other rescue team members still en route to the incident, were stood down once the woman was located. The incident took place some distance from the headquarters of the Derby based team, but the volunteers that make up the team are often called out to incidents far from their homes or places of work.