By Emma Hamilton
A MISSING walker in the southern Cairngorms was found in a rescue operation initially meant for a different man.
Police and Civilian volunteers from Tayside Mountain Rescue Team set out on Sunday along with several other rescue teams and an RAF rescue helicopter.
The team had initially set out in the mountains to the East of Glen Isla, to find missing man Grant Cunliffe, but instead came to the rescue of a completely different man.
Grant Cunliffe,49, has been missing since Thursday 19th January.
An initial search was called off after three days.
Sunday’s efforts to trace him failed and the decision was made to return to the mountain rescue base at White Bridge.
As the team descended down the mountain, they received news that a 58-year-old man had alerted police as he was unable to find his way back down the mountain.
Tayside Mountain Rescue Team said “As daylight faded and we waited for the last of our team members to return down from the hills to our base at White Bridge, we received news that a 58 year old man had contacted emergency services as he was unable to navigate himself back to Glen Doll. A small team of Police and Civilian volunteers from TMRT was redeployed at haste and the man was traced and walked off the hill to safety.”
The man was found by the team at 7.30pm yesterday. Tayside Police said “When traced he was suffering from cold but required no further medical attention and was walked safely off the mountain.”
Police and rescue teams have now decided to stand down from their search to find Grant Cunliffe. Police are urging anyone who may have seen Mr Cunliffe to contact Aviemore Police on 01479810222.
