A 10-year-old girl was trapped beneath rocks for more than three hours at Dartmoor’s Hound Tor on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a multi-agency rescue effort that used a bottle of Fairy Liquid to free her.
Emergency services involved in the rescue included Devon Cave Rescue Organisation, Dartmoor Search and Rescue, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, South Western Ambulance Service, HART, and Devon Air Ambulance. They worked in challenging hot weather conditions to rescue the youngster after she slipped and became wedged in a narrow rock tunnel system.
The child was exploring the popular Devon beauty spot when her thigh became stuck beneath one of Hound Tor’s large rock formations. Despite her trapped leg, she remained uninjured and in good spirits. Group leaders on site initially attempted to free her before emergency services arrived.
Specialist teams carefully assessed the situation and moved the girl slightly using technical equipment but were unable to free her completely. Devon Cave Rescue Organisation was called in for additional expertise alongside other emergency crews to coordinate the complex rescue under the hot weather.
In an unusual rescue aid, rescuers used a bottle of Fairy Liquid to lubricate the tight rock gap, which helped ease the girl’s extraction. After painstaking efforts lasting over three hours, the youngster was successfully freed.
Following her release, the child was checked by ambulance crews and was able to walk off the hill unaided. She was later seen smiling and taking a selfie with members of the rescue teams who helped save her.
A spokesperson for Dartmoor Search and Rescue praised the professionalism and teamwork displayed throughout the complicated operation.
Originally published by UKNIP.
