Search operation continues on Manchester Ship Canal after reports of man in water

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A search operation on the Manchester Ship Canal has begun its sixth day following reports of a man entering the water. Emergency services first descended on the canal at Irlam Locks, off Cadishead Way in Salford, last Thursday evening (December 5).

Police, firefighters and paramedics all raced out to the scene. Images showed underwater search teams dispatched, with boats used on the canal, while a helicopter also attended.

Rescue teams returned to the scene the following morning. In an update issued today (December 10), Greater Manchester Police confirmed the search remains ongoing. READ MORE: "Grass boy": Dad terrorised neighbours but AVOIDS jail as behaviour partly affected by 'undiagnosed ADHD' Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service previously said crews from Irlam and Stretford first attended the scene at 8.40pm last Thursday, following reports of a person in the water.

Officers closed off the Irlam Locks footbridge on Thursday and Friday as the search got underway. One eyewitness living close to the scene described how police arrived 'all at once' on Thursday night, adding: "It's very sad." Another resident, who told the Manchester Evening News he used to work on Irlam Locks for more than 40 years, said: "The water is 30ft deep - and freezing cold." A drone was used above the canal on Friday, while a police boat searched along the Manchester Ship Canal, paying close attention to the bank.