A 10-year-old girl was trapped beneath rocks for more than three hours at Dartmoor’s Hound Tor on Tuesday afternoon, leading to a multi-agency rescue effort that used a bottle of Fairy Liquid to free her.
Emergency services involved 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 heat conditions to rescue the girl 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 being trapped, 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 hot weather conditions.
Rescuers used an unusual method during the operation—a bottle of Fairy Liquid was applied 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, ambulance crews checked the child, who 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.
