Search Area
Tuesday 22 January 2013

  • 12:22 A call was received, stating that the Police were searching for a missing student in the Stirling area.
    Checked Central Scotland Police website for information. An 18 Year old student had been last seen on Thursday Night/ Friday morning.
  • 12:30 A check was carried out on availability of group ops members to access if an offer of help should be made as this was considered to be a probable search for a body, due to the very adverse weather conditions since Friday. 6 available and the decision was taken to place an offer of help with Central Scotland Police
  • 13:00 Call Central Scotland Police and Place offer of assistance with operator. Informed that someone from the search unit will contact ASAP.
  • 14:00 We received a call from Dunblane Police Station informing that an officer will call back later in the afternoon.
  • 17:15 Call from Sgt who is in charge. Update on missing persons search. Student seen at Causwayhead roundabout between 01:00 and 02:00 on Friday morning. He was reported as being intoxicated and walking in direction of university. Traced through CCTV. He tried to buy milk from the dairy but was shown to the road by workers. His wallet had been found by a stile in nearby field. Following questioning N/Shift workers stated that he did look as though he had been walking through fields.
    Due to the severe weather conditions, intoxication and how he is dressed, (thin shirt, T shirt, skinny jeans & trainers), concern was increasing for his welfare and safety. The sgt stated that the only area that had not been searched was approx 1sq Kilometre of fields opposite the entrance to the university. The police underwater search team would begin searching the Loch (located in university grounds on Wed (23rd) and asked if we could search the fields from approx dairy to houses (East to West) and from the road to the railway (North to South). Arrangements made for team to RV with him at University gate at 09:00 on Wed.
  • 17:45 All those members available were called to confirm we had been requested by police to assist. Informed them that fields are to be searched. They would travel in IRC Ambulance and meet at Admin office for 08:00 on Wed morning leaving no later than 08:15. Two members Graeme Wick & Dave Dawson to travel direct as they live locally to RV point.
  • 18:18 Passed Willie McMartins contact details to Police
Team Day 1

Willie McMartin T/L, Andy Goldie, Dave Dawson, Graeme Wick, Gordon McTavish and Mark Ferrie


Wednesday 23 January 2013

  • 07:45 Team members are in attendance at the office and once all kit is transferred depart for Stirling University.
  • 08:45 Team have been given a brief by the police and are issued a map of the allocated search area. We are then sent to carry out the search.
  • 13:00 The team stop for lunch and have a meeting with Police to confirm what has been completed. Some possible evidence is also passed on which helps build a possible picture of events.
  • 15:26 IRC are requested to have a team attend the following day. A full hand over from the search of the open area is passed over. The area is mostly open with large areas of bog and flood water which has ice on top. All such areas have had the ice broken and been accessed safely. Any members of the public who stay or work on the perimeter of the search area that contact was made with were asked to search their own locations. The police were reasonably confident that the area was clear as it had now been quick searched, manually searched and had both search dogs and divers within its boundary.
  • 16:00 It was agreed that the team would meet at the same location the following morning for a brief by the police. The search was suspended due to poor light.
Team Day 2

Willie McMartin T/L, Dave Dawson, Graeme Wick, and Mark Ferrie


Thursday 24 January 2013

  • 08:40 The team receive a briefing from the police and are allocated a search area within the University grounds. This area consists of a mixture of wooded area, open area, overgrown area with some buildings.
  • 12:40 The team stop for lunch having completed their allocated area. After a discussion they are asked to search the immediate area around two major structures within the University. The inside areas were being searched by security staff and police but a second very thorough search of all possible locations where he may have crawled into for shelter was needed. A third location was later added and searched.
  • 13:55 All locations now searched and the team have been stood down by the police. Admin informed.
  • 14:34 Send message to all group ops members not on team that search has been stood down and no further personnel will be required.
  • 15:43 All team returned home.

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