Incident 60/2012

Our third call out of the day for team member and Trailing Dog Handler Steve Nelson /Search Dog Boris. (Actually the third operational deployment for the pair in a continuous eighteen hour period today!)

At 19.00hrs this evening, whilst resting from his intense search efforts of the previous two Call Outs, Steve Nelson was contacted by Rossendale and Pendle MRT, for his specialist tracking services in relation to an on going developing search for a missing twelve year old boy from the Well Bank area of Haslingden, who had last been seen at his home address at circa 16.00hrs this afternoon.

Steve and Boris immediately deployed to the Search RVP at the Holden Arms Public House near to Holden Wood Reservoir at the bottom of the Haslingden Grane Valley, Haslingden, Lancashire.

A large scale search was developing for the missing boy, aided by public media appeals by both Lancashire Constabulary and Friends and family of the boy.

Rossendale and Pendle MRT searched large parts of the moorland fringes of the Haslingden Grane Valley and outlying parts of Haslingden in association with Lancashire Constabulary resources.

At 21.10hrs, the Team Leader of Rossendale and Pendle MRT contacted our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE to discuss the possible involvement of the Bolton MRT to assist in the search, as concern for the welfare and well being of the missing boy was mounting.

It was decided to place the entire available Bolton MRT membership on immediate stand by to respond from our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ and at 21.18hrs the team was paged to assemble at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for a probable 22.00hrs departure to join in the search effort. (So much for our Team Leader having cancelled our routine Wednesday evening training session due to the previous two Call Outs of today “So we could all have a rest tonight!”)

In total one Team member Alan James went direct to the Search RVP on the outskirts of Haslingden, whilst a further nineteen Team Call Out list members and all five of our Team Vehicles assembled at our Ladybridge hall Base / HQ up to 22.00hrs.

Whilst liaising with Rossendale and Pendle MRT as to our departure to join their members and Police in the search, just after 22.00hrs we received the good news that the missing boy had been located safe in Accrington, and at 22.10hrs via pager we were formally stood down prior to making any departure from our Base / HQ.

Finally all our members could get some much needed sleep ….. ready for the next one!