Peak District Moorland Group Gamekeepers Save Teenager's Life in Freezing Blizzard Conditions on Stanage Edge

Two gamekeepers from the Moscar Estate, part of the Peak District Moorland Group, are being praised for saving the life of a 17-year-old girl who collapsed in freezing blizzard conditions on Stanage Edge — one of the Peak District's most popular but exposed walking spots.

Rheyah Rowe became unresponsive on Monday 17 February while on a family walk across the Moscar Estate. Her mother, Carla, and three children had set off at 8am in bright, freezing conditions with snow on the ground for a planned 10km hike. But two hours into the walk, thick fog rolled in fast and Rheyah complained of feeling sick before suddenly slumping into her mother and losing consciousness.

With Rheyah in the recovery position on frozen, waterlogged ground and her younger sister in tears, the family faced a desperate wait for help in rapidly deteriorating conditions on the remote moorland.

It was then that Moscar Estate gamekeepers Tom and Thomas arrived on quad bikes during their daily rounds. The gamekeepers, who patrol the moors every day as part of their land management duties, immediately took charge of the situation.

Tom, a young father who has worked the estate for four years, said: "I could see a woman waving and calling out of the fog which was worsening very quickly. Her daughter was laid on the ground. I could see she was in a bad way — freezing cold, wet and unresponsive. Once I had made sure she hadn't had a fall and injured herself, I knew I had to get them all off the hill and into a warm, sheltered environment."

Tom provided the family with a What3Words location so they could call 999, wrapped his own jacket around Rheyah, and evacuated the entire family by quad bike to the estate workshop to keep warm. When paramedics arrived, Rheyah's blood sugar and blood pressure were found to be dangerously low.

The dramatic rescue underscores the critical — and often unrecognised — public safety role played by moorland gamekeepers across the Peak District. As members of the Peak District Moorland Group, gamekeepers like Tom and Thomas are out on the moors every single day in all weathers, managing the landscape and, increasingly, acting as a de facto emergency service for the millions of visitors who flock to the hills each year.

Crucially, this frontline service comes at no cost to the public purse. Unlike mountain rescue teams, which rely on charitable donations, or emergency services funded by the taxpayer, gamekeepers are privately employed and their daily presence on the moors is part of the routine management of upland estates. Their local knowledge, specialist vehicles, and constant availability make them uniquely placed to respond when walkers, climbers, and families find themselves in trouble — and they do so voluntarily, without any call on public funds.

A recent survey of 58 UK grouse moors, cited by the Peak District Moorland Group, found that gamekeepers assisted the public on more than 1,500 occasions in a single year. That included helping 646 lost walkers, providing medical attention to 88 people, and carrying out 63 full rescues. Remarkably, 85 per cent of those helped were on Peak District moors — reflecting the area's popularity and the unique challenges its terrain presents.

International mountaineer Nigel Vardy emphasised just how close the family came to tragedy. "Once someone becomes a casualty, with the recent weather conditions, they will chill in minutes, and time is everything," he said. "They were extremely fortunate that the keepers came by — it was a life saver."

With 13.25 million day-visitors to the Peak District each year and increasingly unpredictable winter weather, the Peak District Moorland Group says the incident is a powerful reminder of the value gamekeepers bring — not just in managing the landscape for wildlife, preventing wildfires, and maintaining habitats, but in keeping people safe on some of England's most remote and unforgiving terrain.

Carla Rowe said: "We are so grateful to Tom and Thomas. Without them, I don't know what would have happened. They were calm, professional and acted so quickly. They saved my daughter's life."

Anyone heading onto the Peak District moors this winter is advised to check the weather forecast, carry a fully charged phone with the What3Words app, dress in warm layers, and carry food and water. If you encounter gamekeepers on the moors, they are always happy to help with directions or safety advice.