Search For Missing Student (David O’Halloran) February 2013

On Wednesday 20th Feb a call was received by the admin office telephone duty officer from Donna O’Halloran the mother of a Stirling University student who had gone missing a month before (Search – Stirling – January 2013). She asked if it would be possible for us to search an area of the River Forth in Stirling. The message was passed to the Scottish Group Coordinator.
I telephoned Ms O’Halloran where she informed me that she had been consulting a medium who said David would be found near the Old Stirling Bridge.

Following a lengthy discussion I agreed to search the area the following Sunday (24th) if enough members were available. A request was put out to members that evening and six were available.

It was agreed that we would put the Zeegul into the water at low tide approx (06:30/07:30), we would use Stirling Rowing Club as a launch site and RV.

Central Scotland Police were contacted and they provided information on what sections of the river had already been searched and asking that we contact them when we had completed our search, to provide areas covered etc.

Sunday 24/02/13

• 05:00 Pick up John S Anderson and travel to boat house (Bo’ness fire Station)
• 05: 10 Jim Livingstone waiting at boathouse.
• 05:30 Leave boathouse
• 06:10 Arrive Stirling rowing Club, Andy Goldie, Dave Dawson & Graeme Wick already on site. Immediately begin to assemble Zeegull. Wait for daylight before beginning search. Water level dropping quickly.
• 07:00 team will split , first search to be up river from rowing club.
• 07:15 Light enough for boat to begin search, leave taking aqua scope. Radios used as far as possible
• 09:45 Boat returns stating that they had travelled up to just short of where the Allan Water runs into the River Forth.
• 09:55 Second team leave to search downriver from rowing club. Due to distance covered radio contact was lost quite quickly; mobile phone was used to pass messages.
• 11:50 Second team return, they had travelled to the bridge over the A91 and nothing to report.
• 12:00 Make up kit have debrief in local diner. There was no indication of the missing Student during our search.
• 13; 30 Return Bo’ness FS.