The Team departed early morning, at the request of Greater Manchester Police, to continue the intensive search effort on the Rover Bollin, Dunham Massey, for the missing youth from incident 63/2004. 29 Team members including 3 white water kayakers, and our search dog Chi and handler Dave Marsh were joined by search dog Linnhe and her handler Helen Morton, from RPMRT, the Water Incident Unit and attending support pumps from GMFRS Eccles Fire Station, 3 GMP dog teams, 2 GMP TAU’s, the Joint Underwater Search Unit, and GMP divisional resources. As with yesterday this harrowing search took place with the extensive family of the missing youth on scene.

Once again Team members are kitted up for a full days search.

With river levels dropping, and considerably better weather, the search effort of yesterday, out of necessity had to be carried out again. By late evening, the intensive search (which had resulted in the find of some items which were unconnected to the disappearance of the missing youth), had still not met with any find. Greater Manchester Police will now concentrate their search efforts using the resources of the Joint Underwater Search Unit, along with regular bankside searches.

Bolton MRT members on land and in canoes searching the river and riverside.

Both of our days’ involvement with the police and fire officers involved in this search demonstrated the close multi-agency cooperative nature of our operations nowadays.

The sympathies of the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and the other services involved in this search are extended to the immediate and extended family of the missing youth.

An article appeared on the BBC News Online website, which was followed by a second story shortly later in the day.