ON THE afternoon of August 13, 2023, the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) was called to assist in the search for a missing 63-year-old man in Watendlath.

The man's son had reported him missing after they became separated on the path from Watendlath to Dock Tarn.

Concerned for his father's safety, the son reached out to team for help.

What followed was described as "a bit of a wild goose chase", with team members and other walkers scouring the Borrowdale area for any signs of the missing man. Various sightings and reported meetings were reported.

However, the search took an unexpected twist when it was discovered that the father, who was in good health, had actually been searching for his son himself!

Unbeknownst to the search party, the father had continued on their planned route via Stonethwaite and the Flock Inn in Rosthwaite before deciding to retrace his steps back to Watendlath.

Fortunately, the man was located by Brock, a search and rescue dog, and his handler Rob, near Watendlath.

He then made his way back to their accommodation in Borrowdale, where he was finally reunited with his son.

The entire search operation took a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes and involved seven Keswick team members.