A missing woman and her dog have been found alive and safe following a major search operation involving 45 trained volunteers and three specialist search dogs in Marlborough. The large-scale operation was launched after 54-year-old Charlotte disappeared while walking her dog on Saturday morning, prompting growing concern for her welfare. Search teams from Wiltshire were joined by specialist dogs from Berkshire and Hampshire, while a control unit, 4×4 vehicle and equipment support unit were also deployed.
Search carried out by air, land and river
Teams searched extensively from the air, on land and in the river as efforts to locate Charlotte continued throughout the day. Oxfordshire and Berkshire Search and Rescue teams were also placed on standby to provide additional resources if the operation continued. As darkness fell, one of the search teams was approached by a member of the public with information about a possible sighting. The information was immediately passed to Marlborough Police officers who were closest to the location. Just five minutes later, Charlotte and her dog were confirmed to have been found alive and safe.
Football club thanked for supporting operation
Marlborough Town Football Club was thanked for providing support to search teams during the operation. The search and rescue team also highlighted that it operates as a charity independently of the police and receives no regular government funding, with increasing insurance and fuel costs adding to the expense of responding to incidents. The successful conclusion brought the extensive search operation to an end, with both Charlotte and her dog safely located.
Originally published by UKNIP.
