Stanley Park's lake searched by firefighters amid hunt for missing man

Firefighters launched a search of two Blackpool lakes amid growing concerns for a '˜high priority' missing person.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jan 2017, 10:00 BST
Firefighters from Preston were called to search Stanley Park for missing Andrew DickinsonFirefighters from Preston were called to search Stanley Park for missing Andrew Dickinson
Firefighters from Preston were called to search Stanley Park for missing Andrew Dickinson

Police requested help from Lancashire Fire and Rescue as the search for Andrew Dickinson entered its second day.

A team from Preston was called in to assist and crews used a dinghy to scour an island in the middle of the lake at Stanley Park before carrying out a similar search at the nearby Marton Mere Nature Reserve.

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Mr Dickinson, 34, has not been seen since leaving his home in Mereside at around 3am on Sunday, with firefighters also using a drone to search from above as fears for his safety grew.

The search continued at Marton Mere Nature ReserveThe search continued at Marton Mere Nature Reserve
The search continued at Marton Mere Nature Reserve

Watch manager David Shaw said a ‘lifeboat and drone [were] engaged with Lancashire Police searching for a high priority missing person’.

Police said they are becoming ‘increasingly concerned’ for Mr Dickinson’s welfare and issued a public appeal for help in finding him via social media over the weekend.

A spokeswoman for the force described yesterday’s unusual steps of searching two lakes as ‘forming part of our ongoing enquiries to find him, and to check he hasn’t gone into the water’.

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A spokesman for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The police asked us to help so we sent a boat from Preston. They searched Stanley Park before moving onto Marton Mere.

Missing Andrew DickinsonMissing Andrew Dickinson
Missing Andrew Dickinson

“They went from one to the other.”

He said police had given no indication as to why they thought Mr Dickinson may be in the water, or why officers are looking for him.

Mr Dickinson was described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, of a stocky build and with
collar-length dark brown hair.

Officers say they don’t know what he was wearing, but believe he was in black Adidas trainers with white stripes when he vanished.

The search continued at Marton Mere Nature ReserveThe search continued at Marton Mere Nature Reserve
The search continued at Marton Mere Nature Reserve
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A force spokesman said over the weekend: “We are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of 34-year-old Andrew Dickinson, who is missing from his home address in the Mereside area of Blackpool.

“Andrew was last seen at his home address at approximately 3am [on Sunday].”

The force has appealed to anybody who sees Mr Dickinson or with information about his whereabouts, to call police on 101, quoting log number 281 of January 22.