Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team

Like other mountain rescue teams, SMRT does not confine itself to the immediate area and will respond to calls by emergency services and the public alike across a broad expanse of Northern England.

[3] Whilst the SMRT cover over up to 600 square miles (1,600 km2),[4][5] they do not confine themselves solely to Swaledale, Wensleydale or even North Yorkshire.

[7] During 2016, the team were called out fifteen times to a variety of rescues including one where a Tesco delivery driver had driven off a small cliff near Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

[10][11][12][13] During 2020, despite fewer people visiting the area due to the lockdowns enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team were called out 35 times during 2020.

Notable examples of their involvement include; The SMRT have a sub-team known as the Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Unit (SWFRU) which responds to water-based incidents such as missing kayakers, people who are trapped in vehicles with floodwater rising around them and stricken cattle stuck in watercourses.