Incident 19/2016 – Search for a missing male in the Bolton area

At 20.22hrs this very wet evening, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by the GMP Force Duty Officer in regards to a missing person enquiry within the Bolton area.

Our Team Leader then alerted the teams Call Out Contact persons, and then liaised with a GMP Missing Person Search Manager.

It was decided that our Team Leader, meet with GMP and responding GMFRS resources, in the vicinity of Captains Clough Road, Bolton, given the concern for well being for this missing person.

The team was paged at 20.52hrs to go to immediate standby and be prepared for an imminent search operation – with both our Trailing Search Dog (Handler Steve Nelson, assisted by Elaine Gilliland, and Search Dog Boris) and our Air Scenting Search Dog (Handler Jess Ellsmore, Search Dog Blitz) declaring to our Team Leader, their immediate availability should they be required.

Team member Mike Marsh was en route to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ in readiness to prepare search area mapping, with our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Steve Fletcher and Alistair Greenough, all en route to GMFRS Bolton Central Community Fire Station team vehicle garage, to collect our Incident Control Vehicle and a Land Rover, to journey on to meet GMP and GMFRS at the Captains Clough Road initial RVP to discuss possible search options.

Arrangements were also made to crew other team vehicles.

Whilst en route, at circa 20.57hrs the teams response was cancelled by the GMP Missing Person Search Manager, who whilst also en route to this incident, had been informed that a body had been located in the vicinity of the RVP, and that the Bolton MRT were no longer required.

Initially responding Bolton MRT members were stood down by radio, with a full pager stand down being made at 21.04hrs.

We understand the body of a male was subsequently recovered in a joint GMP / GMFRS evening operation.