Incident 96/2014 – Search for a missing woman – continuation of Incident 95

Whilst en route to provide standby rescue cover for the David Staff Memorial Charity Fell Race this morning, we were contacted by GMP, again requesting our assistance with the continuing search operation for a missing 76 years old woman in the Stretford area of Manchester.

We deployed immediately after our standby rescue cover commitment, and arrived at the same Search RVP as yesterday, just after 14.00hrs.

Tasking’s were similar to yesterday, with SARDA and other search dog assets once again involved, plus the NWPS&UMU and our colleagues from Rossendale and Pendle MRT (Who had had two call outs of their own only yesterday)

Searching actively commenced around 14.18hrs, running through until 18.48hrs.

This involved DVSD, Air Scenting and Trailing mountain rescue search dogs, mountain rescue search parties and Police assets covering specific search areas in and around the River Mersey, Ousel Brook and Kickety Brook areas of Stretford, alongside the M60 Motorway.

The operation concluded on scene at circa 19.10hrs with Police enquiries continuing.

We would like once again to extend our thanks to Kiwi Nurseries, of Bradley Lane, Stretford, Manchester, who kindly allowed their premises and customer car park to be used as the search RVP for this operation.

The following resources were deployed during this search incident;

• Greater Manchester Police ; One Missing Person Search Manager, Two Divisional Officers acting as GMP / mountain rescue liaison.
  North West Police Search and Underwater Marine Unit.
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ; Three Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, Ford Transit crewbus / Ambulance, VW Crafter Incident Control vehicle, Team SAR Boat, 20x Call Out list members, one Trainee team member and five probationary members.
• Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team ; One Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance. one Toyota Hi Lux Mountain Rescue Ambulance, ten team Call Out list members.
• SARDA Ireland North ; DVSD Dog Handler Dave Marsh (Also included in Bolton MRT figure) and DVSD Dog Sasha.
• British Transport Police ; DVSD Dog Handler Mike Dermody and DVSD Dog Quincy.
• SARDA England ; Mountain Rescue Air Scenting Search Dog Handler Steve Garofalo (Also included in RPMRT figure) and Search Dog Finn.
• SARDA Wales ; Mountain Rescue Trailing Search Dog Handler Steve Nelson, Navigator Elaine Gilliland (Both also included in Bolton MRT figure) and Trailing Dog Boris.

Footnote; At circa 20.30hrs on the evening of Sunday 30th November 2014, a member of the public alerted GMP to the discovery of this missing woman, very cold and suffering from the damp prevailing conditions, very close to the M60 Motorway, on the fringe of the search areas tasked on Saturday and Sunday.

NWAS (Greater Manchester) were then called to assist GMP Officers, with the woman being taken to hospital for treatment.

All involved in this two day search operation (three days regards the Police involvement) wish a quick recovery to full health for this woman.