At the concluding part of the teams involvement with providing standby rescue cover today for Darwen Rotary Clubs, Darwen Tower Trudge, our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon at circa 14.11hrs was contacted by Greater Manchester Police requesting the teams assistance in regards to a missing young teenager in the Breightmet area of Bolton.

Geoff placed all available team members on the SRC at immediate standby, whilst he liaised with a GMP Missing Person Search Manager.

After discussion, the team was asked to attend the Oaken Bottom / Leverhulme Park area of Bolton, to join in with an intensifying Police search operation.
The thirteen year old male involved, from a nearby address, had been reported missing on Saturday evening 1st June, and with the passage of time Police were now becoming increasingly concerned to safely locate him.

By 15.30hrs Bolton MRT members had commenced searches of the wooded and open countryside in the area, alongside GMP Tactical Aid Units, local Divisional Police resources and PCSO’s. (Who were conducting house to house enquiries)
Public media appeals were also gathering momentum, alongside the involvement of the local press and regional television.

Our normally camera shy Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon was interviewed live by Granada ITV News, as plans were made to widen the search areas.

At circa 16.40hrs came the good news that the missing teenager had been located safe and well at a domestic address in the Deane area of Bolton, and the search operation was immediately cancelled.

In total twenty Bolton MRT Call Out list members were involved directly in this search operation, alongside one further member who was stood down responding.

Three of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles were in support, alongside our Minibus Ambulance vehicle.

Unfortunately we could not respond to this incident with our new Incident Control Vehicle as it was still being worked on during the search by four additional team members, who were preparing it for operational service, as it turned out the search required was in a clearly defined area and the lack of an immediately available ‘Control’ facility was not a problem.

(As a footnote, the Bolton MRT has made full provision for the period between the decommissioning of our former Control Trailer on Wednesday evening, 29th May, up to the expected in service date of our brand new Incident Control Vehicle on Monday evening 3rd June, to call upon our colleagues at Rossendale and Pendle MRT or Bowland Pennine MRT to utilise their Control Vehicles, should the need arise, with thanks to both RPMRT and BPMRT for kindly agreeing to lend this support should it be required)