DERBYSHIRE’S MISSING PEOPLE: Meet the volunteers who help in search for missing people

In Derbyshire, a dedicated team of volunteers are on hand 24/7 to help police with their search for missing people.
Buxton Mountain Rescue Team Nick Smith with Woody a specially bred trailing dogBuxton Mountain Rescue Team Nick Smith with Woody a specially bred trailing dog
Buxton Mountain Rescue Team Nick Smith with Woody a specially bred trailing dog

The Peak District benefits from the expertise of seven mountain rescue teams, who not only help injured walkers, but are a vital element in the search for someone who has gone missing.

Neil Carruthers, team leader with Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, said: “In 2014 the team was called 80 times. Eighteen of these were to search for people who were lost or missing.

The vast majority of these were walkers who had set off onto the higher moor such as Kinder Scout and had become lost or benighted.

“The figure varies slightly from year to year but it is typically between 15 and 20 per cent of the calls the Buxton team deals with.”

And it’s not just those on two legs who can help, with many teams having specially trained dogs to help out.

Figures from the Search and Rescue Dog Association England (SARDA) show teams were called out 51 times in 2014 to look for 55 people.