A Three Peaks walker (m, 28) was reported overdue/missing, seven hours after last being seen on Pen y ghent. He had been walking too slowly for his companion who had continued on ahead without him, trying to catch up with the fastest two out of their original group of four. The ‘companion’ caught up with them on Whernside and the three returned to the Station Inn at Ribblehead, then hitch-hiked back to Horton in Ribblesdale before calling the Police to report their fourth missing. Neither NYP nor CRO could make telephone contact with the misper, but as a search of routes on and around Pen y ghent was beginning, the misper phoned his former companion to say he was just leaving Ingleborough and the team stood down. It seems that he was keeping his phone switched off in order to save battery. His next call stated that he was approaching Gaping Gill and his companion told him to stay there, assuming that CRO members were already on the hill looking for him. The team then sent CRO4, the Honda Pioneer, to Gaping Gill. However, when team members arrived there, they could not find him so further teams set off to investigate the other possible routes off the hill. When intercepted near Beecroft Hall, some walkers said that they had met the misper and confirmed that he had headed down the hill back towards Chapel le dale. A quick check of the road to Ribblehead found the misper safe and well in the Station Inn. He was then taken back to the CRO Depot at Clapham where he was reunited with his companion. It seems that the confusion was made worse by the misper’s battery conservation attempts as, each time he called his companion, he gave a rapid report then switched off before the CRO controller could speak to him.
Volunteer hours: 40
N.B. This is the corrected account. Apologies if anyone read the earlier, slightly incorrect version.