On Friday evening 21st March, Simon Lane, Team Leader of Cheshire SAR Team contacted our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE as to the possibility of Bolton MRT assisting Cheshire SAR with a planned search operation in Cheshire over the Saturday 22nd March and probably in to Sunday 23rd March period.

The request was specifically for our 3.5m long Semi Rigid inflatable SAR Boat and appropriate Boat Cox / crew, if the search operation as planned required the use of such.

As the Bolton MRT was fully committed on Saturday with a local area event late morning until early afternoon, in this instance we were unable to help.

On Saturday 22nd March, our SAR Boat with Cox (Team member) Dave Cook, and at least one other team member Alan James, as towing vehicle driver, was confirmed as available to Cheshire SAR for any extension of their search operation in to Sunday 23rd March if so required.

This was declared to Simon Lane team Leader of Cheshire SAR by our Team Leader.

As events turned out, the search by Cheshire SAR on Saturday 22nd March was moved to areas away from water, and so our SAR Boat would not have been needed anyway.

Today, Sunday 23rd March, Cheshire SAR team have continued the search operation, ably assisted by their colleagues from North Wales Mountain Rescue, NEWSAR Team.

Simon Lane confirmed that their search of today again did not ultimately require our SAR Boat.

This is recorded here for the information and interest of our readers and does not feature in our incident listings.