An 80-year-old hiker who was reunited with his family today after he was reported missing for four days has said: ‘If I had known there had been all this fuss I would have made my own way home’.
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.
He spent ‘three grand days’ camping in the open and revealed that he only had £21.05 in his pocket, before he was miraculously found alive by a wildlife photographer near Keld this morning.
The 80-year-old was instantly rushed to the Tan Hill Inn pub, one of the remotest pubs in England, where a police press conference was due to be held as his family launched another public appeal for help.
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 tearful family.
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 shows the heartwarming moment Harry was helped out by members of a mountain rescue team and embraced by his tearful family in an emotional reunion
A press conference was organised for today where his family planned an appeal for members of the public to help in the search. But as the conference was about to begin at the Tan Hill Inn, one of the most remote pubs in England, Harry unexpectedly pulled up in a Land Rover
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.
‘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 today: ‘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. Described as a ‘competent hiker’, Harry was miraculously found alive by a wildlife photographer this morning after camping in the open for two nights
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 an 80-year-old man who went missing during a walk on the Pennine Moors 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 he had actually been missing since Saturday, meaning he had survived four days in the open. 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.
North Yorkshire Police said this morning: ‘Harry Harvey has been found safe and well’
‘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.