This is the incredible moment an 80-year-old hiker who was feared dead after he was reported missing for three days was reunited with his tearful family at a press conference they were holding to find him.
Pensioner Harry Harvey, described as a ‘competent hiker’, was reported missing in the Gunnerside area of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, at around 1.30pm on Sunday.
The retired shipyard worker spent three days and three nights camping in the open after getting split off from a fellow walker during a hailstorm, and revealed that he had just £21.05 in his pocket.
Forced to use emergency rations including tinned beans as he starved, he lost his glasses and compass and even banged his head after falling off a bridge over a stream which he was crossing.
Mr Harvey was then miraculously found alive by a wildlife photographer near Keld this morning and rushed to the Tan Hill Inn pub, where a police press conference was being held.
Video shared by the Tan Hill Inn today showed Harry stepping out of a Land Rover in the pub carpark, with a bandage across his head, and being embraced by his family in an emotional reunion.
More than 60 people were involved in a huge search operation involving mountain rescue teams, police helicopter, specialist search dogs and handlers – Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, Teesdale & Weardale Mountain Rescue Team, North of Tyne Mountain Rescue, Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue, Cleveland Mountain Rescue, RAF Mountain Rescue and Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England.
Video shared by the Tan Hill Inn today showed Harry Harvey, 80, stepping out of a Land Rover in the pub carpark, with a bandage across his head, and being embraced by his tearful family. More than 60 people were involved in a huge search operation involving mountain rescue teams, police helicopter, specialist search dogs and handlers
Video shared by the Tan Hill Inn today showed Harry Harvey, 80, stepping out of a Land Rover in the pub carpark, with a bandage across his head, and being embraced by his tearful family. More than 60 people were involved in a huge search operation involving mountain rescue teams, police helicopter, specialist search dogs and handlers
Pensioner Harry Harvey, described as a ‘competent hiker’, was reported missing in the Gunnerside area of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, at around 1.30pm on Sunday. The retired shipyard worker spent ‘three grand days’ camping in the open after getting split off from a fellow walker during a hailstorm, and revealed that he had just £21.05 in his pocket
Speaking by a roaring fire today, Mr Harvey, who worked at a Wallsend shipyard, told a press conference he had ‘three grand days’ camping out on the mist-shrouded moors and insisted that he had been in no danger.
However, he revealed that he had set off to walk through Swaledale with a friend when they became separated in a heavy hailstorm, and was forced to use emergency food rations as he starved.
‘I had three grand days of wild camping,’ he said. ‘I never felt scared, I had all the right kit, all the right training and I knew what to do. My biggest problem was I only had £21.05 and I didn’t think that was enough to get back home. I saw a helicopter hovering overhead at one stage but I didn’t realise they were searching for me.’
He added: ‘If I had known there had been all this fuss I would have made my own way home. It is not my scene at all to have a fuss. I wasn’t frightened but at one point I used my whistle but no one heard me.
‘The worst point was when I fell crossing a bridge over a stream. It was a tree across a stream with a mink trap on it, I stepped over the trap and went down and banged my head, which I patched up myself. I rang my wife when I was found – I didn’t give her chance to get angry with me, I put the phone down before she could be.’
Peter Roe, from Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, said they had been “not hopeful” of finding Mr Harvey alive, adding: ‘He had got lost for a couple of days in the mist on the moor then found his way to the road.
Harry Harvey was reported missing in the Gunnerside area of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, at around 1.30pm on Sunday. He was found near Keld this morning, and was driven straight to the nearby Tan Hill Inn pub
Speaking by a roaring fire today, Mr Harvey, who worked at a Wallsend shipyard, told a press conference he had ‘three grand days’ camping out on the mist-shrouded moors and insisted that he had been in no danger. He had set off to walk through Swaledale with a friend but they became separated in a heavy hail storm
Mountain rescue teams, who based themselves at the Tan Hill Inn, worked through the night to find Mr Harvey. Local residents and workers were asked to check sheds and barns after Mr Harvey did not reach the pub to meet a friend as intended
Search and rescue teams had launched an urgent hunt to find Mr Harvey after he went missing during a walk on Sunday
‘He had a bit of a fall but had managed to deal with it himself and was absolutely fine. We could have been walking a few yards from him and we wouldn’t have known – he’s a really nice chap.’
Inspector Mark Gee of North Yorkshire Police said Mr Harvey had been staying at Tan Hill on Friday night with a group and had got separated from the group on Saturday.
Mr Harvey was walking and looked in good health, though had a plaster on his head. Rescuers heard he had been found minutes before a press conference was due to start when the family were due to appeal for help to find him.
It has now emerged that he had actually been missing since Saturday, meaning he had survived for three days in the open on his own. He was reported missing on Sunday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the sescue team said yesterday: ‘The team will be out again today searching for Harry in the Tan Hill area. Thanks again to the other Mountain Rescue Teams and Mountain Rescue Search Dogs assisting us.
‘Huge thanks also to local people supporting us with food, shelter and off-road transport, Ghyllfoot Tearoom Gunnerside, Tan Hill Inn, Kings Head, Gunnerside and Gunnerside Estate Gamekeepers.’
The team say that to search the vast area effectively using search dogs they need as few scents in the area as possible, hence why they have not asked for public assistance with the searches.
North Yorkshire Police said this morning: ‘Harry Harvey has been found safe and well. He was found by a wildlife photographer who had seen our appeal and noticed Harry waving at her from the direction of Keld.’
Inspector Gee said: ‘This is fantastic news that Harry has been found safe and well.
‘I want to thank all the search volunteers for their time, as well as gamekeepers, estate owners, farmers and local residents for their help and understanding.
‘Thanks also to the Tan Hill, who looked after the volunteers and Mr Harvey’s family.’
When Harry went missing he was wearing a dark jacket and trousers, walking boots and carrying a large dark rucksack containing all of his camping and hiking gear.