At 09.45hrs this already very hot and sunny morning, GMP contacted our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE for the teams assistance with the early stages of a search for a missing woman from Royal Bolton Hospital, in circumstances giving the Police concern for her well being.

With both our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon, collecting further relevant information, at 10.18hrs the team was paged to go to ‘standby status.’

In view of the ‘workday’ time of call, and likely search urgency, at 10.33hrs our Team Leader directly requested the assistance of Rossendale and Pendle MRT, with their Deputy Team Leader Andy Simpson, placing the RPMRT on standby.

Shortly after this at 10.42hrs with more information now available, the team membership was called out, to meet at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for 11.30hrs.

In the interim our Trailing Search Dog Handler Steve Nelson, with his Mountain Rescue Trailing Search Dog Boris, met up with Police at a location linked to the missing woman, to attempt to then trail the woman.

Whilst here at circa 11.10hrs news was received by GMP that the missing woman had contacted her family, and was believed to be in the Manchester City centre area.

With the search area focus now no longer relevant to MRT involvement, we were stood down at 11.18hrs along with RPMRT.

In total sixteen Bolton MRT members and our Trailing Search Dog had declared themselves immediately available for this search, with a group stood down already at our Base / HQ.

Circa six Rossendale and Pendle MRT members had also declared themselves available.

GMP resources involved in this search included Divisional assets and the involvement of a helicopter from the National Police Air Service (NPAS 21, City Airport, Manchester)