Snowdrift licensee's relief at rescue

A licensee who fell victim to this week's arctic weather conditions has spoken of her relief when she was rescued by a search team after being trapped in a snowdrift for two hours.

Tracy Daly from the Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, known as the highest pub in Britain, was forced to battle the snow in her Haglund Snowcat after one of her staff needed medication.

The vehicle then got stuck in a snowdrift and Tracy and staff, Paul Richardson, Ellie Chadwick and the pub's Jack Russell, Sherbert, had to wait two hours in the freezing cold before being found.

"It was really shocking. I'm usually the one who rescues people in the Snowcat, not the other way around, " she said

Tracy added they began to get worried when Mountain Rescue failed to find them after an hour of being stranded. "We were well wrapped up so after dialling 999 we relaxed and played some games and took photos. But then I started to get frostbite on my toes and it stopped being fun. We started getting scared."

After her rescue, Tracy had to spend two nights in Cumbria before returning to her pub and her beloved kittens and chicken.

Despite her ordeal, Tracy said she has no qualms about opening up again on a snowy day.

"We always try to stay open. It would be terrible if customers walked all the way up here and the place was closed."

She added that two stranded motorists were able to seek shelter in the pub early Monday morning when the snow had begun to fall heavily.