Fisherman discovers body in reservoir

9:16am Monday 4th February 2008

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THE body of a middle-aged man was discovered in Anglezarke Reservoir yesterday.

It was spotted by fishermen yesterday lunchtime near the northern embankment of Anglezarke Reservoir.

Emergency services, including Bolton Mountain Rescue, went to the scene off Moor Road where they found passing hill walkers had pulled the body part way out of the water on to the embankment.

Rescue teams confirmed that the man was dead and although a post-mortem examination had still to be conducted last night, police said there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances.

They have yet to name the man but say he was from the Chorley area.

Bolton Mountain Rescue team leader, Garry Rhodes, said he believed colleagues in the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team had been searching for the same man in the area in mid-January.

"It appeared the body had been there for some time, maybe a few weeks," he said.

Eight Bolton volunteers were called to the scene at 1.10pm.

Although the incident was in the Bowland Pennine area, Bolton members were deployed because they were out training in the Rivington area.

Mr Rhodes said they had joined ambulance crews in helping to find the body, which took around 15 minutes.

Deputy team leader Geoff Seddon, a white water kayaker who lives near Rivington, brought canoes with him, but they were not needed, with Preston firefighters deploying a boat to recover the body.

The North West Air Ambulance was also called to the scene but left after establishing the man was dead.

Mr Rhodes said: "Police decided it was best to bring the body over to where the emergency services were waiting using a fire service boat but we supplied a stretcher.

"The body was about seven minutes from the road but it was not a difficult location to get to. We helped lift the man on to the stretcher and over the wall of the embankment and then waited for the undertaker to arrive.

"It was quite a big response, with a lot of emergency service teams.

"But that is standard because when the ambulance service are told a body has been pulled out of the water they don't assume the person is dead.

"You have to assume there is still a chance they are alive."

Insp Damian Kitchen, of Lancashire Police, said: "The body was that of a middle-aged male from the local area.

"The circumstances are being investigated and have been referred to the coroner.

"At this time there appear to be no suspicious circumstances."