2005

At 23:20 Hrs our Team leader was contacted direct by the Team Leader of Oldham MRT, for the Team’s assistance with regards to an earlier enquiry regarding a missing 66 year old woman in the Blackley area of North Manchester.

The lady had gone missing whilst out with her family just before 18:00 Hrs this evening. The Police were concerned due to the woman’s condition, combined with freezing conditions, darkness and snow on the ground.

BMRT members are debriefed at the end of the search

22 Team members, including our Search Dog Chi & Trainee trail dog Sniff, combined with 14 Oldham MRT members and considerable GMP resources, who were all tasked to try and locate the woman.

Despite a huge search area covered, by 04:00 Hrs in temperatures of -2 degrees centigrade, the search was scaled down awaiting more information on the possible whereabouts of the lady.

Our members finally got to bed around 04:45 Hrs in the morning of Wednesday the 30th November, for our Team Leader to be contacted mid morning, requesting further possible assistance.

6 members were placed on immediate standby with a full Team call out scheduled for late afternoon, when news was received that the lady had been located by a Police officer in the Eastlands area of Manchester, safe and well.

The search effort of yesterday at Whittingham Hospital, Preston continued today, with all the same assets present, including once again Bolton MRT members.
Yet again, despite extensive and exhaustive search efforts, the operation was suspended at nightfall with a negative result.

Lancashire Constabulary requested the team to assist with a long running search enquiry to locate a 67 years old man, missing since summer, after disappearing from Whittingham Hospital, Preston.
On numerous ocassions since June of this year, searches have taken place co ordinated by Bowland Pennine MRT, alongside other MRT and SARDA resources, combined with Police resources, all to no avail.

Todays search was a continuation of this effort, and included considerable LANCON assets, including Dog Units, their Air support Unit, Mounted Section, Underwater Search Unit, Specialist Police Search Units, Tactical Aid Teams and divisional resources, alongside Bowland Pennine MRT members. Specialist help was also provided by Lancashire County Council work staff, with clearing areas of dense undergrowth to allow searches to better search certain areas.
The search drew a blank and was concluded at nightfall.

At 16:24 Hrs today Greater Manchester Police, paged the Team for immediate assistance with a search for a missing 60 year old male, in the Bow Green, Bowdon area of South Manchester. A Full Team call out took place at 16.54 Hrs, also requesting our kayak search team, for searching the River Bollin.

The gentleman had been missing a number of hours, which combined with darkness and dense freezing fog, made the search even more urgent. The weather, hampered most of our team members response, with a large part of Greater Manchester motorway system gridlocked, resulting in an usual journey of 40 mins to the scene RVP turning into a nightmare 2 hour stop go crawl, none the less members started arriving for deployment.

Search Dog Chi and trainee search dog Sniff, both belonging to team member and dog handler Dave Marsh were dispatched very quickly after their arrival, followed by other search parties.

Then at 20:25 Hrs, the good news was relayed by GMP that the missing gentleman had been found in Altrincham town centre, approx 2 miles away, safe and well, despite the freezing conditions prevailing. Thanks were received, for our efforts from GMP and the missing gentlemans family, who had been at search control during the evening,.

So we did the usual things we had to do on scene at the conclusion of a search, with lots of kit to pack away back into our Control Trailer and returned back to our homes or in some members cases back to the vehicle bases to pack away and prepare our vehicles for the next incident. This incident was concluded at 22.45 Hrs, 15 Team members were involved directly, together with our SARDA Search dog Team, 7 others were stood down responding, also involved were GMP Tatical Aid Unit, Divisional resources, a Traffic unit, Dog Unit & Search Managers.

Mention (with thanks) should be made of the many local people who offered their help in the search.

Today whilst in attendance at the Remembrance Sunday Service at Lead Mines Clough, an 83 year old gentleman, present at the service and who had a previous history of angina, collapsed during the Service.He was immediately comforted by on scene Team members, including an A&E Charge Nurse. A GP also rendered immediate assistance. The service carried on whilst Team members went on to administer Aspirin & Oxygen.

Team members assist with the casualty care of todays casulaty.

Other Team members meanwhile assured the gentlemans wife and immediate family, including his grandson that all was okay. LAS control were informed, and the 17 Team members went onto stretcher evacuate the gentleman the half mile to the nearest roadhead, whilst others walked down with his wife and family.

Stretcher evacuation of the casualty, back to the waiting LAS Ambulance.

From all of us in the Team we wish the gentleman a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him at next year’s Service, which we understand will now be organised by a local rambling group.