1620hrs – Call from Rab Barrie to advise Northern have placed offer of help to Cumbria Police in relation to a missing person. Scottish region to check availability for a boat crew (4 staff)
1622hrs – Text message sent to all ops staff requesting availability for potential search by Paul Baxter
1625hrs – Reply from those contacted
1625hrs – 4 staff available; Willie McMartin; Rab Barrie; Jamie Buchanan; David Dawson
1627hrs – Offer accepted; Willie McMartin issued instruction to mobilise with RV set for Bo’Ness Fire Station. Telephone call made to staff to advise on instruction
1630hrs – Willie McMartin called to advise Ambulance will move with Zeegul; He will use his vehicle to tow Pioneer allowing for team to split into two locations if required.
1632hrs – Willie McMartin called to advise missing person had been lost since 2200hrs on Tuesday 18 Aug. No blue lights will be used to travel.
1632hrs – All staff arrived and now en route to location
1740hrs – Contact from John Wilkinson to Willie McMartin explaining he had arrived at the Police station. Coastguard advise search now scaling down, unlikely to need IRC input. Willie McMartin stood teams (Scotland and Northern) down
1905hrs – Call from Willie McMartin to advise boat and vehicles returned and all staff en route home.
Update 09:15, Thursday, 20 August 2009
A 999 call was made just after 10pm on Tuesday from people fishing on the West pier at Whitehaven. They reported a man had jumped off the harbour wall off the seaward side of the harbour.
Fishermen had rushed to the aid of the man at 10pm on Tuesday, throwing him a life ring. But it was too late and the men lost sight of him off the West pier.
The Liverpool coastguard centre alerted Whitehaven coastguard about the incident. Police and fire and rescue services and an ambulance were called out at 10.20pm and helped to light up the area for the search. Three lifeboats and a RAF helicopter went to look for him where he was seen to enter the water off the harbour’s West breakwater.
Earlier on Wednesday, St Bees RNLI, along with Whitehaven and Maryport coastguards, had been searching the Saltom Bay coastline. RNLI crews from St Bees, Maryport and Workington worked with Whitehaven coastguards and an RAF rescue helicopter from Anglesey to find the man. Whitehaven coastguards and RNLI lifeboat crew ended their search at about 4pm on Wednesday because of the poor weather conditions and the amount of time since the incident was reported.
Police have been trying to identify the man, who is described as 5ft 10ins tall, with short dark hair and possibly stubble. He is believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s and was wearing a dark jacket with reflective stripes and dark trousers.
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