VOLUNTEERS and the emergency services have been praised for their roles in finding a high risk missing man.

Police officers, the police helicopter, firefighters, mountain rescue volunteers, the search and rescue dogs association and the coast guard were all involved in the mammoth search for the man, who had been reported missing in Rivington.

During the eight-hour rescue effort, the search area was extended to the Darwen Moors. The man was eventually found in Tockholes.

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team posted on Facebook: “At 11.56pm on Friday our colleagues at Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team were contacted by police who were requesting assistance in a moorland search for a high risk missing male. Due to the location of the likely search areas, the call was handed over to our team, although both teams worked side-by-side throughout.

“Searching on foot began in the early hours, on moorland in the Rivington area. Searching from the air was initially started by national police air service and later supplemented by a drone from fire service.

“At the same time trailing dog teams from the search and rescue dogs association Wales and the Bolton mountain rescue team, and air scenting dog teams from the rescue dog association England and Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team were also drafted in. Due to the very wide moorland area in scope, further assistance to search from the air was requested from Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

“At approximately 6.40am, new information came in which moved the search areas to Darwen Moor and the nearby Tockholes plantations. Mountain rescue team personnel, search dogs and the coastguard aircraft were relocated to cover the open moorland and wooded areas, and happily at 7.45am on Saturday the missing male was located safe and well a short distance from the Roddlesworth Information Centre. This was a mammoth team effort with many statutory and voluntary organisations all seamlessly working alongside each other - all contributing to a fantastic outcome.”