In the early afternoon GMP contacted our Team Leader for more assistance with regards to the previous day’s search at Priory Gardens in Sale, Manchester for a missing woman. The Team was placed on standby at 15.44 Hrs for potential deployment at 18.00 Hrs, search planning took place on scene with GMP Search Managers and a Team member, and it was decided a full team response should be requested, which was paged at 17:10 Hrs.

Throughout the day GMP TAU, GMP Search Dogs and two SARDA England search dogs (from our colleagues in Calder Valley SRT) had been searching various areas. Now the Team was being requested to use its kayak teams to search the Bridgewater Canal, from Sale Metrolink Station to Stretford Metrolink Station & the River Mersey from Jacksons Bridge to Barfoot Bridge with other Team members on foot searching the banking of the canal & river. Our first search Teams were deployed by 18:25 hrs and more were deployed as the main body of members arrived on scene shortly afterwards. We had three Kayakers on the stretches of water we were covering and 18 Team members available for the search.

All searching was completed by 20:30 Hrs, unfortunately again proving unsuccessful and with search teams returning back to the control location, debriefing took place. The Team was thanked for its role in the search by the Chief Inspector in charge of the search, who also passed on the thanks of the family of the missing woman, who had been around the search control and seen what we were doing. Police enquires are continuing into the whereabouts of the woman.

All the efforts of Bolton MRT were stood down and this incident was concluded with all vehicles returning back to their vehicle bases by 22.15 Hrs.

As a foot note we would like to point out, whilst doing a recce with a Police Search Dog handler, before todays main search took place: Team Member and Sale resident Dave Healey, was seen to be ’escorted’ back to a Police van, much to the amusement of local children who kept asking “Has he been Arrested, Mister?” & “What’s he been nicked for?”. We can confirm that, alas, Dave hadn’t been arrested and was available to take part in the Search later.