Blackburn

20151031_150318

Oct 31 2015

Incident 82/2015 – search for missing male at Lower Darwen

At 15:36 on the afternoon of Friday 30th October, Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh received a call from Lancashire Constabulary who were requesting the team’s assistance in the planned search on Saturday 31st October for a missing 52 year old male in the area of Lower Darwen, near Blackburn.

As the area to be searched lay within the primary operational area of our colleagues at Rossendale and Pendle MRT, Chris passed the call to their leaders. However due to a prior commitment and given the close proximity to our team area, RPMRT asked if we could take over this particular search, which we were happy to oblige.

Team members Mike Marsh and Steve Fletcher journeyed up to Blackburn at 08:15 this morning to meet with a police missing person search manager, to discuss the search parameters and circumstances surrounding the person’s disappearance. They were joined shortly afterwards by 16 members of Bolton MRT at the designated search RVP at Fishmoor Football Club, Blackburn.

Two search parties spent the morning and early afternoon searching open land between Lower Darwen, Fishmoor and Ewood, and both parties were joined by two Pcs from Lancashire Constabulary.

Team members and Lancashire Constabulary officers stop for a refreshment break during the search
Team members and Lancashire Constabulary officers stop for a refreshment break during the search

Throughout the day our welfare requirements were greatly assisted by the grounds staff at Fishmoor Football Club, who understood the nature of what we had been asked to do, and very kindly allowed us to use their kitchen and toilet facilities. This was very much appreciated by all team members present today.

Lower Darwen 31OCT15 001By 15:26 all designated areas of land had been searched and with no information to suggest further search areas at the time, team members were stood down and returned home.

In total 16 Bolton MRT team members were involved in this incident, accompanied by two Lancashire Constabulary Sergeants and two Police Constables.

Update: at 12:28 on Sunday 1st November, the team were contacted by Lancashire Constabulary with the good news that the missing person had been found, safe and well, outside of the designated search areas.

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Feb 15 2014

Incident 21/2014

At 00:33 in the early hours of this cold and wet morning, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by Peter Goble, Team Leader Rossendale & Pendle MRT, requesting the team’s assistance with a developing urgent search for a missing 13 year old boy in the Blackburn area.

Initial plans were made to establish mapping for the search area and establish some drivers at this early hour of the morning.

At 00:46 the team was placed on standby, followed by a full team callout at 00:59, by which time some team assets were already mobilising. Our intention was to RV at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ to depart for Blackburn at 01:40 this morning.

At 01:10, Graham Dalley, Deputy Team Leader of RPMRT, who was coordinating their search response contacted our Team Leader directly to give an update on the developing search, in discussion it was requested of our Team Leader that he call out the Cheshire Search & Rescue Team for their assistance in this search.

With a number of Bolton MRT members already at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ, and others responding direct to the RVP at Blackburn Police Station. At 01:28, Graham Dalley contacted our Team Leader with the good news that the boy had been located safe. A full team pager stand-down was sent at 01:30.

At the time of writing this report, at least 18 Bolton MRT members were responding to or had arrived at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ. We understand the following resources were deployed (or deploying) to this search operation:

  • Rossendale & Pendle MRT
  • Bowland Pennine MRT
  • Bolton MRT
  • Cheshire Search & Rescue Team
  • SARDA England
  • Lancashire Constabulary (numerous assets)

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Nov 27 2011

Incident 70/2011

At the conclusion of this afternoon’s David Staff Memorial Fell Race in Darwen (see news article), and as team vehicles were preparing to return to base, at 12:38 today team Training Officer Elaine Gilliland (who was stationed at the fell race Start/Finish point at Sunnyhurst Wood) was asked by one of the race organisers to attend to a member of the public who had slipped on a path within the woods.

At the same time, NWAS Lancashire were contacting the team to request our attendance at the same incident, to which they had already despatched an Emergency Ambulance from the nearby Darwen Ambulance station.

As the NWAS Ambulance arrived, Elaine requested that the team attend as a short carry down a path and steps was required. Two nearby vehicles carrying an additional ten team members which were involved in the earlier fell race cover attended (the other three team vehicles remained at their RVP at Tockholes Information Centre).

Arriving very soon after they were requested, equipment from the first attending team vehicle was sent up the short path to the casualty, who was suspected to have suffered a fractured lower leg/ankle. Painkilling drugs were administered and the casualty’s injured limb was splinted by the NWAS crew and Bolton MRT members. Upon the arrival of the second team vehicle, the team then carried the 58 year old gentleman, who was out walking with his daughter, down to the ambulance on a SAR Alpine Lite MR stretcher.

The casualty was then taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital by the NWAS Ambulance, where one team vehicle also travelled to recover items of equipment from the casualty after he had arrived at A&E.

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