18 January, 2008
Search for missing male called off for the night
The Montrose Coastal Rescue Team, HM Coastguard, were requested to assist the Tayside Police in a search for a missing male thought to be depressed.
The search commenced at 2130 on Tuesday 15th January 2008 under the threat of extreme bad weather. Using portable searchlights, out of a team of 11 member 8 plus 7 from Arbroath Coastguard quickly responded and provided a 4.5 hour search as well as controlling a SAR Helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth using its FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared). The search was called off for the night when the batteries on the portable searchlights failed.
"Our main concern was that the despondent had walked onto the mud of the Montrose basin and got stuck but we found no evidence to that effect" said Sector Manager Darryl White.
At first light on Wednesday the Montrose team was joined again by members from Arbroath bringing a total search effort to 15, Rescue 137 from RAF Lossiemouth, RNLI Liofeboats from Montrose alongside local Search and Rescue police officers, gardens, outbuildings, allotments, construction sites, shrubbery, industrial units, derelict buildings as well as the mud and harbour and nearby coastal areas were scoured with no results. The search was called off again for the night at 2000.
Thursday brought another massive effort from Montrose Coastal Rescue Team working alongside our colleagues in the Search and Rescue Team of Tayside
Police. For another 8 hours the search continued but sadly without
success. The disappearance of the despondent remains a mystery with no evidence found to date as to what had become of our fellow townsman. Over the next few weeks the local Coastguards will continue to visit the search areas in an effort to ensure that all possiblke enquiries have been made and areas fully searched.
Copyright 2008 Montrose Coastguard