Peter Baglin: divers and drones help with search for missing Boothstown man

Divers, drones and a mountain rescue team are all in use in Greater Manchester as police continue to search for a missing man.

Peter Baglin, from Boothstown, has not been seen since 28 December last year when he went out for a walk and did not return. Several of his belongings were found beside the Bridgewater Canal the following morning.

On Thursday (2 March) Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were helped by underwater search teams to scour the canal while drones were used to try to locate him as well. The search continued on Friday (3 March) with the canal and the surrounding woodland areas the focus of the emergency services’ efforts. Police have said this is just one line of inquiry they are following as they try to find Peter.

What are the police doing to find missing Peter Baglin?

GMP said that on Thursday the underwater dive team returned to the Bridgewater Canal to search the stretch between the Moorings and Astley Point. The mountain rescue team was deployed to search the surrounding woodland and fields and a drone was put up in the area to look over the more inaccessible areas.

On Friday, the same teams were back out in the area to continue the search for Peter, who was reported missing by his wife Michelle when he did not return home from a walk which took him beside the canal towpath on the evening of 28 December. His belongings, including a hat, phone and headphones, were found in that area the following morning.

The latest search of the canal is the most recent of several such attempts to find Peter in the area carried out by police since he went missing. Officers have also conducted trawls of the local area for CCTV and doorbell footage and any possible sightings of Peter are being followed up. GMP said on Thursday that the searches in the canalside area would be continuing for a couple of days.

However, the force also admitted that searching the canal is just one part of the investigation to find him as they currently have little idea what has happened to Peter since he went missing.

What have police said about the search for Peter?

Senior investigating officer Michael Sharples from Salford CID said: “There is no evidence to suggest the whereabouts of Peter at this time, so this search is just one line of enquiry that we are following.

“We are carrying out another search of the canal, where we believe Peter was last seen, as well as the surrounding fields and wooded areas.

“At the time Peter went missing, there were extremely low temperatures and not much boat traffic on the water. This part of the canal is very unique and as such, changes in temperature and the fact the season is changing, can impact on how the water behaves.

“Due to this, we have decided to carry out the search again. We also have the drone back in the air, which is used to access areas that are harder to reach on foot.

“We, and specialist officers from GMP, continue to work closely with Peter‘s wife, Michelle, and the family and we are grateful to the multi-agency response that we have received over the last few weeks.

“Not only will we be carrying out these searches, but we will be looking for even more CCTV and ring doorbell footage. We continue to follow up on every lead given to us and even if you think you can’t help, we urge you to take another look at your footage, just to be sure.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or use the Live Chat function on the GMP website. Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”