Incident 19/2011

In the early hours of this morning, at circa 03.55hrs, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, was contacted by a Greater Manchester Police Missing Person Search Manager regards the teams assistance concerning a missing 40 years old Middleton man, in circumstances giving GMP concern for his well being.

The likely search area of Alkrington Wood, Middleton, an extensive area of mature woodland, former sandpits, fishing lodges, reservoirs and the River Irk, is within the operational area of the Oldham MRT, and the call was passed to our colleagues at Oldham MRT.

In liaison with our Team Leader, Mick Nield the Team Leader of Oldham MRT requested our team also be called out to assist with a comprehensive search of the Alkrington Wood area.

A full team pager call out message was sent at 05.04hrs, with fourteen Bolton MRT members responding, an additional two team members attended at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ helping to load our two responding vehicles with equipment and catering supplies.

Arriving at the joint Oldham MRT / GMP Search Control, our members were dispatched to search the banks of the River Irk, adjacent woodlands and water bodies forming Alkrington Wood.

Our search areas were commenced at 07.38hrs, with Oldham MRT members actively searching other parts of the wood, with four SARDA dog teams also operating in the search area, alongside GMP Police Officers.

By 09.00hrs our tasked search areas were completed, followed by a debrief by Oldham MRT search controllers and GMP.

With a comprehensive search of Alkrington Wood completed, the MRT element of the search was stood down, as Police continued their enquiries to locate the missing man.

Our team members involved returned to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ by 10.30hrs.
Later in the morning the team was informed that GMP Officers had located the missing man.

The following resources were involved in this search operation;

• Oldham MRT, 13x members, performing Search Control and providing search parties.
• Bolton MRT, 14x members involved in the search.
• Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) four air scenting dog teams and handlers from Glossop MRT, Calder Valley SRT and (two teams) Oldham MRT.
• Greater Manchester Police, 2x Missing Person Search Managers, Divisional Police Officers.