A GROUP of young people and leaders returned home safely yesterday after spending nearly two weeks in Switzerland – and being involved in dramatic rescue scenes during some of the worst floods experienced in the country. The Liskeard Open Award Centre, which runs Duke of Edinburgh's award for students at Liskeard, Callington and St Joseph's schools as well as others from throughout the county, overcame landslides and debris, as well as at one stage being trapped by flood in a hotel, to complete their award walks and even help with flood damage control. The group's leaders left the UK on August 18 and arrived in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland several days before the participants and a few other leaders were meant to leave. This advanced party experienced a little light flooding and spent time tackling a few walks and watching the area to see what would flood. The young people, who left the UK three days later, however encountered landslides and flooding on their way to base camp, and had to stay in a hotel while the rain carried on. However, as the water levels began to rise, the area around the hotel itself became flooded. The group did its best to help make sure damage was kept to a minimum. They helped make sandbags to keep the water getting any further into the hotel, as well as setting up picnic tables and benches to create temporary walkways between the buildings. Help eventually came in the form of the Swiss army who moved the group via bus to a nearby railway station which took them near the site. The group's bus eventually turned up at the site a few days later after being stuck, and in the meantime the young people managed to carry out their four-day expedition. Routes planned by the leadership team were used, although one had to be altered due to a landslide. The young people have now been informed that their efforts in the hotel will go towards their award scheme. John Martin, who was part of the leadership group, said: 'I cannot speak highly enough of the group who worked very hard throughout the trip – they were excellent.' The floods were caused by record rainfall, with Austria and southern Germany also experiencing severe damage, while Bulgaria and Romania were also affected.
