Incident
57 in 2006
Type
Location
Devoke Water
Other Agencies
, , ,

Whitehaven Police called out the team to assist in the search for a missing male in his mid thirties who had left his family earlier that morning to walk on his own. They were on holiday from Oxfordshire. The last sighting was near Devoke water earlier in the day. He was not equipped for a day on the mountains. Around 22 Wasdale team members searched the area along with Duddon & Furness team who came in to assist. By nightfall the man had not turned up and it was decided to stand down the teams until the following day. Search dogs from the Lakes and from SARDA England were also stood down. The search would continue at 9:30 hrs the following day but we were hoping the man would turn up safe and well before we had to go out again. Weather conditions were showers with very strong winds. Base was closed at 7.00 p.m. and would re-open in the morning. Update 6:00 hrs Friday – still scheduled to continue the search at 9:30 hrs with air support from RAF Boulmer (if available) and search dogs on the ground.Update 4.00 p.m. Friday – The team re-convened at 9:30 hrs as planned. Air support was requested and Rescue 177, RN Prestwick was tasked with ETA 10:15 hrs; SARDA (Lakes) tasked 3 dog handlers and RAF Leeming MRT were in area and volunteered their support. Duddon & Furness MRT were again providing search support for the south-westerly search areas. Wasdale were preparing to leave the base in vehicles with around 15 team members when the police reported that a man fitting the description of the missing person had be found, in a confused state but safe, outside the search area. The incident was stood down at around 10:30 hrs Base closed at 11:30 hrsThanks go to all the team members and handlers who attended with apologies for those handlers who had made alternative work arrangements, traveled a long way and then had to turn back as soon as they arrived.

Incident started at 15:44 and ended at 19:00 making 3.3 hrs in total. There were 22 Wasdale team members involved. Total rescuer hours: 73

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