Despite all the sophisticated tracking devices you could ask for, it was the glinting of what’s believed to be a woman’s watch in the heather that eventually led them to her.

Both HM Coastguard teams from Watchet and Minehead went to the rescue of an injured walker on the South West Coast Path between Minehead and Bossington, on the Sunday before last.

A 999 call was made to the ambulance service from a relative reporting the lone female walker had collapsed due to the hot weather and that she required medical assistance due to a pre-existing medical condition.

The triangulation of the original mobile phone call to the relative and the subsequent calls from the female to the Coastguard pinned the location down to the Hurlestone Point, Bossington Hill, area of Exmoor National Park.

On our arrival the coastguards liaised with the relative and directed search teams along the coast path and also adjoining routes as she was believed to have gone off track.

Due to the sheer size of the search area and the hot weather conditions and with the casualty’s condition appearing to be deteriorating additional support was requested from the Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter from St Athan in South Wales, directly across from the search area and only a few minutes flight time away.

The search area comprises many very steep and rugged paths and tracks, which in the heat and bright sunshine was tough going for the searchers carrying equipment, and many litres of water were being consumed to keep hydrated.

With the support of the helicopter, a methodical search was undertaken, but the casualty was still not clearly visible due to the terrain.

Not long after one of the coastguards who had been tasked to provide a communication link from a high vantage point with a rescue vehicle was scanning the hillsides with binoculars spotted something glinting in the heather, possibly her watch, on Bossington hill.

Relaying the location to the helicopter crew, the coastguard guided the helicopter in by talking them over to the area where the reflection was seen. Once at the spot the helicopter was able to confirm the reflection was indeed the casualty.

Due to the steep terrain the helicopter than landed at the cairn on the top of the hill, and the coastguard winchman paramedic and winch operator made their way down on foot to the woman, joined by a coastguard land search team who had been making their way up from Hurlstone Point.

The coastguard paramedic then gave immediate treatment on scene before the Helicopter lifted to perform a winch recovery from the hillside. This was due to the very steep terrain and risk to the casualty and time it would take to be stretchered up manually.

With coastguards on the hillside a ‘hi line’ was lowered from the aircraft and connected to the winchman and casualty.

Having been recovered onto the aircraft the woman was flown down to the Allerford and Bossington cricket field where a waiting ambulance then continued with treatment before transferring her to hospital. She was later released after treatment.