Three die as heavy rain hits
Heavy rain and strong winds hit the West Country over the weekend
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Monday, 05, Mar 2007 07:53
A teenage girl is among three people who died over the weekend in the West Country due to poor weather conditions.
The 14-year-old, who has not been named, was training for the Ten Tors hiking competition which sees young people walk up to 55 miles across Dartmoor when she was swept away by a river.
Friends in the girl's hiking group raised the alarm at around 14:05 GMT on Sunday by ringing the police from a mobile phone and although a rescue helicopter found her within 20 minutes, she died overnight at Derriford hospital in Plymouth where she had been airlifted to.
Emergency services also rescued 19 other young people who were training on the barren land which had been hit by heavy rain. Police said one teenager had incurred leg injuries.
"The pupil was a delightful member of our school community," her school, Edgehill College in Bideford, Devon, said.
"She loved to be involved in all the activities the school runs and shared her love of sport by helping to coach younger pupils. We will all miss her enormously."
This evening the British Army, which runs the Ten Tors competition, said it would not be suspending this year's event because of the death. A spokesperson said yesterday's fatality was the first in its history.
In a separate incident, two people were washed off the harbour wall at Mullion Cove in Cornwall late on Sunday afternoon when Falmouth coastguard received an emergency call from the Mullion Cove hotel just after 17:00 GMT.
The Mullion coastguard rescue team was sent to the scene immediately and a rescue helicopter stationed in Culdrose was requested yet the man and woman were pronounced dead upon arrival at Royal Cornwall hospital at Treliske, Truro.
Falmouth maritime rescue coordination centre said that at the time "gale force winds and very rough seas" were hitting the harbour.