Dad's horror after mistaking new trend for double murder on the moors

Ian Lott thought he's stumbled across two dead bodies face down in Bellever Forest
-Credit: (Image: Ian Lott)


A man and his daughter were left shocked after stumbling upon what they thought were two murder victims but were actually people indulging in a peaceful 'moss-hugging' trend. Ian Lott was walking his dog at Bellever Forest in Dartmoor over the weekend when he, his partner and their daughter saw two people laying face-down on the ground.

Describing the puzzling scene they encountered last Sunday, Ian recalled first spotting two backpacks on the ground a few metres from the footpath, before noticing the people. He told Plymouth Live: "First we noticed two rucksacks in the forest covering, then noticed two people laying facedown."

"Honestly, my first first thought was they were dead or unconscious," he explained. "So I approached very carefully so as not to disturb any area around them in case the police needed to do a forensic search of the area and I called out to them and I didn't get any response.

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"I got close up, about 15 ft from them and they popped their heads up, looking all bewildered and said they was feeling the moss and the forest floor. I was just so relieved they weren't injured or dead. We carried on up the the path and told other walkers heading the other way about them and not to be worried.

"I looked it up afterwards and apparently moss hugging and forest bathing is a thing. They lay down - face down - and send themselves into a trance. That's why they didn't respond to me straight away. And there was me thinking I'd stumbled onto the scene of a double-murder!"

Forestry England shares information on "forest bathing" on its website, educating the many who, like Ian and his family, may mistake moss enthusiasts for murder victims.

They explain: "This Japanese practice is a process of relaxation; known in Japan as shinrin yoku . The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help both adults and children de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way.