At  circa 18.40hrs this evening, our Trailing Search Dog Handler Steve Nelson was contacted directly by a GMP Missing Person Search Manager, regarding an urgent  search for a missing male in the Astley bridge area of Bolton.

In  turn, Steve alerted our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, who contacted the GMP Force Duty Officer at 18.53hrs and was then contacted in turn by the GMP search manager at 18.56hrs, with a request to mobilise the Bolton MRT immediately and to meet at GMP Astley Bridge Police Station as soon as possible.

At  19.12hrs a full team Call Out was paged for all members to initially meet at our  Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, with many of our members at this time already en  route to this location for our routine Wednesday evening Team meeting.

By this stage GMP Officers and PCSO’s had already commenced initial search  areas.

Just as our Trailing Dog Handler Steve Nelson, his usual navigator Elaine Gilliland (and of course Boris) were arriving at GMP Astley Bridge Police Station, news  came at circa 19.20hrs from GMP that the missing man had been found by a member  of the public, in the Eagley Brook valley area, and that Police and an Ambulance  had been called and the services of the Bolton MRT were no longer  required.

At  19.26hrs this was confirmed in a full pager ‘stand down’ message.

By  this stage, Steve and Elaine with Boris had mobilised to the Police Station RVP,  two of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances were responding, some members  had already arrived at our Base /HQ, and search area mapping was being  prepared.

In  total at least 29x of our Call Out list members (Including Steve and Elaine)  were stood down responding to this search incident.