Chief Constable Andy Marsh at the presentation with, from left, team leader Jim Whatley; Sami Bryant-Jones; Ray Poole; John Gent, and team chairman Chris Hubery

Chief Constable Andy Marsh at the presentation with, from left, team leader Jim Whatley; Sami Bryant-Jones; Ray Poole; John Gent, and team chairman Chris Hubery

Three members of a rescue team have clocked up a total of 75 years’ service.

Exmoor Search and Rescue Team volunteers Sami Bryant-Jones, John Gent and Ray Poole have each completed 25 years with the organisation.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh of Avon and Somerset Police presented the trio with long-service certificates at a ceremony held during national volunteer week, which was also attended by former team members.

The event also featured a review of the team’s history.

Exmoor Search and Rescue Team chairman Chris Hubery said: “It was a real privilege to celebrate Sami, John, and Ray’s long service.

“Their dedication right from the first ever team meeting in 1992 laid the solid foundations on which today’s thriving team is built. Over the years, not only have they performed various formal roles such as team leader, medical officer and search manager, but they made the team into a family that share the best and worst of times together.”

The celebrations marked the mid-point in another busy year for the team which has seen members involved in the multi-day search for Clive Colling in Bideford, the search for junior doctor Lauren Phillips in Woolacombe, and other callouts in the team’s large operational area, including two in Chard.

It covers north Devon and west and south Somerset.

Over the summer, the team will be attending several sporting events on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills in addition to being on call 24 hours a day. Exmoor Search and Rescue is one of 48 mountain rescue teams in England and Wales, and is entirely funded by donations and run by volunteers. The team regularly recruits for operational and support team members.

More details are available on the Exmoor Search and Rescue Team website.