TEESDALE’S search and rescue team has said goodbye to an “old friend” who has never let them down and taken everything the North Pennines could throw at it.
Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team has replaced its trusty but aging Land Rover with a state-of-the-art Isuzu D Max 4x4 pick-up.
But it has not happened without a certain amount of sadness, according to Mike Needham, the team’s press officer.
He said: “Our old friend has given the team more than 15 years of service. During this time he has attended nearly every callout, been out in all weather conditions, including the Beast from the East in 2018. This is a remarkable effort and one all team members should aspire to.
“He has never complained and just kept going, the only time he was heard to whine was when one of the team members tried to give him a mud bath in a peat bog up on the fells of County Durham.
“Who is this illustrious team member we’re talking about? He our Land Rover, Stan’s Van, named after one
of our former team members.”
Stan’s Van, which has covered more than 60,000 miles, was taken off the road in February
“Like all Land Rovers they have their own charm, and foibles, such as off-set steering, vibration you can feel through your bum or ventilation that comes through all parts of the vehicle but most of all we loved the traction of 4x4 wheel drive,” said Mr Needham.
The replacement has been named Teesdale Mobile 1. Its role is to transport team members to locations during a search, drop equipment off and if needed transport a
casualty to another ambulance.
It has taken the team 15 years to raise the money to buy the vehicle.
Mr Needham said: “We have invested considerable time to make sure we obtained a quality vehicle optimised for team working.
“Our new vehicle is an Isuzu D Max 4x4 pick-up in Mountain Rescue livery fitted with a high-level rear canopy, emergency lighting and sirens, front winch, tow bar, underbody guards, front
and side spot lights, and a bespoke internal racking system for carrying team equipment.
“We hope our new vehicle will serve us for many years
as it has four big boots to
fill.”
