Devon and Cornwall Police’s rural affairs team has said it rescued a 72-year-old man who was “stranded” in a blanket bog in Bodmin Moor while patrolling earlier this week.
Chris Collins, a Devon and Cornwall Police rural affairs officer, said the team was patrolling a remote area of the moor when they noticed a walker around 500m away who disappeared from view for a “considerable time, which caused some concern”.
“Using a thermal imager and binoculars on the ATV to check his welfare, we saw he was stuck in a blanket bog,” Collins said.
“We went to assist him and found a 72-year-old man cold, wet and exhausted having fallen several times and unable to extract himself.
“We were able to rescue him and transported him off the moor safely.”
Kubota ATV
The crew had been patrolling in its policing ATV, which was deployed in Bodmin Moor as part of the area’s rural crime initiative and aims to help in the protecting of the community and its livestock.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the 4WD Kubota ATV, equipped with binoculars and a thermal imager, helped the force “save a man’s life” as it helped identify and locate him in the remote Cornwall area.
The Kubota ATV was deployed by Devon and Cornwall Police to patrol Cornwall’s countryside area spanning over 80 miles.
Police volunteer for Devon and Cornwall Police, Julie Dowton, said the ATV was chosen for Bodmin Moor “due to its environmental sensitivities”.
“The moor is 80 square miles and includes a variety of designations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which means it is of particular interest to science due to the rare species of fauna or flora and geological and physiological features.
“We need to do everything we can to protect and safeguard the ancient landscape and its surrounding communities, and the Kubota ATV barely leaves a footprint.”
Police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez said the vehicle would enhance policing in the area and help in the fight against rural crime which is “a concern for many across our force area”.
“By their very nature, remote areas such as Bodmin Moor can be challenging to police, and so I am pleased to help fund this all-terrain vehicle which will prove a vital tool in keeping rural communities safe from criminal activity.”
Hernandez said the vehicle would also help in the safeguarding livestock and wildlife, and help ensure the land is protected for the “lawful use and enjoyment of everyone”.
