Major search launched on Thursday evening to find missing person in freezing conditions in the Clwydian Hills

A major land and air search was launched on Thursday afternoon following reports of a person missing in the Clwydian Hills.

Volunteers from NEWSAR, the Mold based North East Wales Search and Rescue team were scrambled to assist North Wales Police with the search in freezing cold conditions.

As well as NEWSAR police drafted in the force’s own Drone Unit, a Coastguard helicopter, the Hawarden based police helicopter and a search and rescue dog handler to help with the search.

The teams spent “many hours” in sub-zero temperatures searching for the missing person who was eventually found just after midnight safe and well but very cold.

A spokesperson for NEWSAR said:

“Late on Thursday afternoon we were requested to assist North Wales Police with the search for a person missing in the Clwydian Hills. Given the weather there was considerable concern for their welfare.

We spent many hours searching alongside Police Officers, including NWP Drone Unit, a SARDA Wales dog and handler, a Coastguard helicopter and a National Police Air Service helicopter.

The missing person was eventually located safe and well shortly before midnight.

They were very cold but otherwise OK. One of our team medics carried out an assessment, before the casualty was transported off the hill in a team Landrover.”

The NEWSAR team were also called into action on Wednesday to assist two lost walkers and their dog near Moel Famau.

The walkers had become lost in the dark in a wooded area east of Moel Famau

A spokesperson for the team said the walkers “tried for some time to relocate themselves, but with temperatures falling fast they made the right decision to call for help.”

By using some smartphone tools we were able to identify their location and instructions over the phone were provided on which way to head.

We also sent team vehicles to the lower car park on Moel Famau to display our Blue lights as a further guide.

The groups were then able to make it safely to the road where we confirmed they were OK to return to their car parked nearby.”

More about North East Wales Search and Rescue

NEWSAR is a volunteer Search and Rescue (Mountain Rescue) Organisation which is on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Their primary operating area is in North East Wales mainly covering the counties of Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham and parts of Conwy and Powys.

The team also regularly assists Mountain Rescue teams elsewhere in North Wales as well as Lowland Search and Rescue teams in Cheshire and Shropshire.

NEWSAR volunteers also assist Police in searching for vulnerable people who are missing from home or those in need of rescue.

All team members are volunteers and we do not receive any payment for providing this service to the Police.

It costs approximately £25,000 a year to run the Team – this covers fuel and repairs for vehicles, protective equipment for team members, training courses and team equipment such as ropes, stretchers etc.

As NEWSAR is a Registered Charity the vast majority of this money is raised through grants, individual donations, legacies, street collections and collection tins.

For further details of their fundraising activities, visit the Fundraising Page

Feature Image: Facebook.com/northeastwalessearchandrescue