Sometimes these things happen!
Whilst at dabs.com receiving their wonderful cheque donation (See separate website report) this afternoon, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE muttered to the staff from dabs.com that it would be good PR for them and their story of raising money for us if we then received a call out.
Right on cue, at 14.19hrs a GMP Missing Person Search Manager contacted Garry direct requesting the team’s assistance with a developing search for a missing man, reported to have been last seen on Monday 18th June 2012.
Hurried good byes were said to the dabs.com staff, as Garry obtained more details from GMP, and colleague team member (And dabs.com staff member) Steve Fletcher prepared maps of the likely search areas.
The 74 years old man was missing from his home address in the Little Lever area of Bolton, near to the Nob End part of the Croal Irwell Valley / Moses Gate Country Park area.
The team was required to join in with Police Officers and search wooded areas close to the missing mans home address.
A full team pager call out was made at 14.35hrs for team members initially to RVP at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for 15.30hrs, to then travel to an RVP in the Boscow Road area of Nob End.
Given the close proximity of the now abandoned Bolton and Bury Canal, the River Croal and the River Irwell, our SAR Boat was also made available.
By 15.30hrs seven team members and one Support Group member (Gillian Gregory) was at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, preparing team vehicles our Control Trailer and Catering Trailer for imminent departure. (Whilst collecting our ‘BM4’ Land Rover and the Control Trailer from our Bolton Central Fire Station garage, Dave Marsh, the ‘collection driver’ was assisted in connecting up the Control Trailer by GMFRS Fire fighters at Bolton Central Fire Station engaged on training there)
Team member Alistair Greenough by this time was also at our Fire Station garage, collecting our ‘BM2’ Land Rover.
As our first members were ready to depart our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ our Team Leader was contacted by GMP with the good news that the missing man had been located by GMP, after being alerted by members of the public, many miles away in the Trinity Way area of Salford.
At 15.35hrs the team was stood down by pager, with at this stage nineteen team members deploying, with more having declared their availability once their working day had finished.
Included in our responding members was our Mountain Rescue Dog Handler Steve Nelson and his Trailing Dog Boris.
Also stood down responding were members of the Police North West Regional Underwater Search and Marine Unit, and two GMP Missing Person Search Managers.
Stood down on scene, were GMP Divisional resources, with a helicopter from the North West Air Operations Group (Police) Lancashire Constabulary Air Support Unit having also been involved.
At the stand down we had the little problem of what to now do with the twelve packs of bacon and over thirty fresh barm cakes, Team President Bob Hutchinson had arrived at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ with to feed the hungry mountain rescuers that were not now attending! Anyone for a bacon barm next time they call in at our Ladybridge hall Base / HQ!
