Rescue plan is updated after family gets lost in Cawdor woods
PLANS to update a Cawdor Area Rescue Plan are under discussion after global positioning apps were used to help find a lost family.
A police report to Cawdor and East Nairnshire Community Council revealed they were found safely after becoming lost in the Big Wood last November.
The community council has agreed to gather contact details of people with intimate knowledge of the wood to assist police in the case of an emergency.
Community councillor Lizzie Rose said members will report back to the next meeting.
“In its current format, the plan contains a list of a dozen or so local residents with extensive knowledge of the Cawdor Big Wood, willing to assist emergency services should an incident occur,” she said.
“Items like hi-viz jackets, torches and walkie talkies were purchased, as part of the plan, and are stored at a location in the village.”
The plan was last updated in 2014 and copies are held at Nairn Police Station, Cawdor Estate Office and by the community council.
Local volunteers and community council chairman Stevie Webster are updating the list to confirm they are still willing to be contacted in the event of an emergency and they are keen to get other people involved who may wish to help.
Sergeant Graeme Erskine, of Nairn Police Station, said: “We were made aware of a family lost in Cawdor Woods at around 4pm on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
“Officers spoke to the family and made use of the global position app SARLOC to establish their position.
“While this was ongoing, a local man with knowledge of the local area happened upon the family and helped guide them safely out of the wood.
“We are grateful to this member of the public for their help.
“The Cawdor Area Rescue Plan is well established and has been in place for a number of years. It has recently been re-circulated among officers based in the Nairn area.”
