SearchUpland

At 6:35 this morning the team were contacted by our neighbouring team, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, to assist with an ongoing search for a missing female giving police cause for concern.

Bowland Pennine had been searching Nicky Nook, near Scorton, since the early hours, and with continued areas outstanding had requested the assistance of Bolton MRT and Rossendale & Pendle MRT, as well as search dogs from Calder Valley SRT, Cave Rescue Organisation and Cheshire LSRT. As we were in the middle of our peer review we also had our facilitators from Cleveland MRT and Swaledale MRT.

The search was coordinated from Bowland Pennines Ray Lane base/HQ.

At 10:10 the news came through that the woman had been found. Team member and staff nurse Sam McKay attended the scene to assist with medical needs the lady had, before handing over to an NWAS ambulance.

All teams would like to wish the lady a speedy recovery.

Within minutes of being stood down from our previous callout, 22/2017, our Team Leader was again contacted by the force duty officer with a request for assistance in the search for a missing person whose car had been located on Scout Road, Bolton. The team would be required to search the moorland to the north of Scout Road. Damian and Skye, the trailing search dog from Cheshire SRT were diverted to this incident.

The team had been mobilised and our neighbouring team of Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team were about to be called when the individual was located walking along a road by a police patrol car.

With this excellent outcome the teams were stood down.

Following on from Incident 110/2016, two team members, Team Leader Alistair Greenough and Equipment Officer – Communications, Steve Fletcher, had travelled to Royal Bolton Hospital to retrieve equipment used in the rescue. Alistair retrieved a message from two walkers who had become lost whilst walking up Winter Hill.

After getting initial information by talking to the lost walkers, a “SARLock” attempt was made which sends a message to the phone which, when activated, will return the location of the phone to our mapping systems. This was unsuccessful. Alistair and Steve contacted Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary to ping the phones to discover which mast the phone was connected to.

A full team callout was made by our Deputy Leader Chris Greenhalgh, with 23 people responding to assist with this search. Additional assistance was requested from our neighbouring team Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team, Search and Rescue Dogs from NSARDA and SARDA Wales and the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service search dog and drone.

Team members were tasked to search paths on the Bolton side of Winter Hill.

At approximately 17:00 hours team member Dave Cook located the walkers on Coal Pit Lane safe and well, albeit cold and wet.

The two were taken to our Mountain Rescue base where they were provided with dry clothing, food and hot drinks.

In an emergency the correct procedure to mobilise Mountain Rescue is to call 999 and request Police or Ambulance. The police or ambulance control will mobilise Mountain Rescue as necessary.

At 17:29 this evening the team was contacted by Greater Manchester Police reporting a man had lost contact with his wife in the vicinity of the Peel Tower monument above Holcombe/Ramsbottom.

The hill Peel Tower is constructed on forms the team area boundary between Bolton Mountain Rescue and Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue, with the tower being in RPMRTs area.

Due to the potential large search area a joint response was made.

As the teams were getting mobilised with team members travelling to the vicinity, a stand down message was received stating the missing woman had been found safe and well.