‘Busiest year ever’ for rescue team

The Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team have reported that 2018 was their ‘busiest year ever’ with 89 incidents.

It was not only incidents that the team responded to but they have completed training, exercises, fundraising, education, talks, challenge events, and been involved with the ‘Beast from the East’ and Crimewatch.

The charitable organisation provides a local search and rescue service, for 2,100 square miles of moors, wolds and valleys, covering the Eastern half of the North Yorkshire Moors and the Scarborough, Ryedale and York areas.

The team, which is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said: “Thank you to all our supporters, sponsors, team members, employers, family and friends.”

Now three big marathons are being staged by the team this year to help raise funds for its operations.

A spokesman said the team now numbers 63 strong and includes doctors, teachers, vets, IT specialists, and ex-military personnel, “They all give up 150 days a year for training at weekends and evenings.”

The team works with all the emergency services but the cost of running its service, including two specialist Land Rovers, amounts to £50,000.

While some grants are provided by the North York Moors National Park Authority and Defra, the bulk of the cash comes from voluntary fund raising and donations, said the spokesman.

The first fundraising marathon will be the Dalby Race on March 2, followed by the Ravenscar Coastal Half Marathon on May 19, starting at Ravenscar Village Hall, and the Forest and Moors Challenge event on September 22 at Pickering.

The team began the year by providing first aid cover for the annual Scarborough New Year dip.