At 08:46 this morning Greater Manchester Police contacted us via pager to ask for the team’s assistance in a developing search for a missing 65 year old man, from the Tonge Moor area of Bolton.
The man had apparently left his house yesterday morning (Thursday 30th) around 06:00hrs and had not been seen since. The request from GMP was for the team to assist the Police search effort in searching the wooded areas and the banks alongside the water course of Bradshaw Brook to the rear of the man’s address.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE initially liaised with a GMP Missing Person Search Manager, with a full team pager call out being made at 09.09hrs.
Team members Elaine Gilliland, Martin Banks, John Dickinson and Naomi Horan were available for the search initially joined by Sam McKay and Steve Nelson who arrived direct at the search RVP. Chris Tennant arrived at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ early to help load the equipment and catering boxes.
The initial search area was a 200m circumference around the man’s home which included searching the banks of Bradshaw Brook, a reservoir in the Firwood Fold area, allotments and steep wooded ground. Whilst awaiting for confirmation of extending the search area further (and with more team members stating their afternoon availability) a report came in that the man may have been seen in Fairfield Hospital, Bury. This was quickly confirmed by GMP as being the same missing man, with the search was stood down at 15:10hrs.
The following resources were involved in this incident;
- Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, six team members involved in the actual search, with our BM3 Land Rover MR Ambulance vehicle, and two additional members helping with preparations for the search.
- Greater Manchester Police, Missing Person Search Managers, Divisional Officers, Tactical Aid Unit (6x Officers), and a Police General Purpose Dog Team.
- North West (Police) Underwater Search and Marine Unit. (3x Officers)
