Incident 64/2012

At 11.58hrs today our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by Andy Simpson, one of the Deputy Team Leaders at Rossendale and Pendle MRT, for the teams assistance to RPMRT in the developing search for a missing twenty four year old male in the Padiham area of Lancashire.

The missing male, who was subject to a Police public appeal to establish his whereabouts, had last been seen the previous day, Thursday 13th September, with Lancashire Constabulary searches commencing that evening to locate him.

At 12.07hrs a full team call out was paged, with members initially meeting at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ from 13.00hrs onwards to travel to the search RVP in team vehicles.

Due to the non-availability of RPMRTs Control Vehicle we were also requested to attend with our Control Trailer.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was initially requested to attend Burnley Police Station alongside Graham Dalley, one of RPMRTS Deputy Team Leaders for a Police Search Briefing, arriving there at 15.00hrs.

All other search resources, both Police and MRTs were requested to attend what became the search control RVP in the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham, Burnley.

By 15.30hrs a major search operation with a considerable number of resources available to it, was well underway centred upon the extensive densely wooded and open grassland areas surrounding Gawthorpe Hall, near to the missing males home address.

Search parties of mixed Police and MRT members alongside other assets, worked to a search plan co-ordinated by a Lancashire Constabulary Missing Person Search Manager, under the radio control of Bolton MRT, with us also providing (And sharing) the limited catering provisions we had attended with.

As darkness fell in the evening, with search areas being completed, Police acting upon a phone call from a member of public, were alerted to the whereabouts of the missing man, near to the search areas.

Nearby Police Officers requested a Bolton MRT vehicle (The nearest on hand emergency vehicle) transport them immediately to the mans location, where at circa 21.00hrs he was taken into safe Police custody.

The following list, which may not be complete, details the resources involved in todays search operation, all working in total harmony to a common search plan;

• Lancashire Constabulary; Missing Person Search Manager, Operational Support Unit (OSU) teams, Police General Purpose Dog Sections, Mounted Branch, a Specialist Response Unit, very large number of Divisonal Officers and PCSOs.
• Rossendale and Pendle MRT; Two Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles and eleven team members.
• Bolton MRT; Two Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles, our Control Trailer, and eleven team members.
• Search and Rescue Dog Association (England) 1x Air Scenting Mountain Rescue Dog Team, Handler Steve Garafalo and Search Dog Finn, from Rossendale and
• Pendle MRT (Also included in the RPMRT attendees listing above)
• Gawthorpe Hall / Local Authority Staff members and Hall grounds maintenance staff.