At circa 12.56hrs today, Greater Manchester Police paged the Rossendale and Pendle MRT, for their assistance with a search for a missing 50  year old male, in circumstances giving Police concern for his well being.

The search area was centred upon the Healey Dell area of Rochdale, with at least twelve RPMRT team members quickly responding to the search RVP from both their Burnley and Haslingden bases.

RPMRTs response also included their SARDA England Air Scenting Mountain Rescue Dog Handler Steve Garafalo and his Search Dog Finn.

A requirement for our Mountain Rescue Trailing Search Dog handler Steve Nelson, with his Trailing Search Dog Boris, and navigator / Bolton MRT colleague Elaine Gilliland (Both Steve and Elaine are also members of SARDA Wales) led to Steve being contacted to assist at 14.20hrs.

Steve and Elaine who were in Liverpool at the time, journeyed to their Bolton home to collect Boris, departing at 16.15hrs for the search RVP.

Arriving soon afterwards, Steve, Boris and Elaine, joined in the RPMRT / GMP search operation, from circa 17.00hrs, standing down their particular specialist search involvement at circa 19.10hrs, returning to their Bolton home address by 19.40hrs.

Rossendale and Pendle MRT stood down their involvement at 20.45hrs this evening, with GMP enquiries still continuing in to the whereabouts of this missing person, who has also been the subject of social media appeals.

Please refer to the website and Facebook sites of our colleagues at Rossendale and Pendle MRT for more information about this search operation.