Two local male youths from the Horwich area, became lost this afternoon on the misty still partially snow covered moorland of Rivington Moor, prompting a large scale Police and Mountain Rescue response today.

The two fourteen year olds, on a moorland walk between Rivington Pike and Winter Hill, ‘lost’ the path in the gathering late afternoon gloomy and misty conditions, contacting the parents of one on their mobilephone.

In turn emergency calls were then made to Greater Manchester Police, who forwarded the call to Lancashire Constabulary, for their response and action.

Very quickly at 16.37hrs the team was paged by Lancashire Constabulary (and Greater Manchester Police) and with many members still present at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ from the previous incident, a large number of team members were readily available.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon met up with responding Police Officers at the Georges Lane, Horwich, initial RVP, as team members gathered at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ.

Meeting up with one of the missing youths father, it was quickly determined the father was in mobilephone contact with the two, and the father in company with our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon then drove along the moorland track of Georges Lane, attempting to guide to safety the two youths.

With the rapid onset of darkness, the two youths were guided to the track via the lights of Geoffs vehicle, arriving on Georges Lane at 17.30hrs, where they were quickly checked out by Alistair Greenough, one of the teams experienced Casualty Carers (Outside the team a full time Accident and Emergency Nurse) who discovered they were thankfully in good health but cold and wet.

Both youths and the father then very kindly personally thanked Police Officers and MRT members on scene for their help.

The following resourses were called to this incident;

• Bolton MRT; All five Team vehicles, twenty eight team members, some on satndby at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ and others at the search RVP with Police on Georges Lane, Horwich.
• Lancashire Constabulary ; Major Divisional Resources from Chorley Division, including the Neighbourhood Policing Team, Response Team, Operational Support Team, and PCSOs.
• Lancashire Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police Force Control Rooms.

With this incident we finished a very busy period (Particularly in view of the personnel hours involved) since we were called out at 01.38hrs in the early hours of Saturday 4th February 2012.