ONE SADDLEWORTH man and his very skilled dog have been rewarded for literally Making a Difference.
PC Richard Beswick and Ace were winners in one animal category of the BBC Radio Manchester prizes that honour those who go above and beyond in their community.
And after coming to the aid of a cyclist that became lost and disorientated in freezing conditions in February, the pair – who volunteer with Greenfield-based Oldham Mountain Rescue Team – were deserved winners.
Speaking about the incident, which occurred at Middle Edge Moss, PC Beswick said: “We went out to look for a gent who had gone out cycling during the day, got a bit lost on Saddleworth Moor and ended up losing his bike, losing sort of his way.
“It got to towards midnight, in the dark and freezing temperatures and we went out to search.
“Luckily, we found him and he was airlifted out by the Coastguard and managed to get him home before anything worse happened to him.”
Thermal camera footage showed the moment PC Beswick, who was off-duty, and border collie Ace reached the man, who was suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion.
At the time, OMRT said: “Search dog Ace and his handler headed out first, travelling directly across open, rugged and challenging moorland with no defined paths.
“A second team followed close behind carrying additional equipment. Ace made a swift and accurate find.
“On assessment the casualty was found to be suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion.
“The team provided immediate care — including shelter, insulation, a warm drink and food — before packaging the casualty into a stretcher for evacuation.”
Now after collecting the award at a ceremony at Leigh Sports Village on Thursday, September 24 after being selected by a panel of local judges, including radio DJ Shaun Keaveny, rugby league star Umyla Hanley and actress Nikki Sanderson, Richard revealed Ace’s secret talent.
The constable, who works on Greater Manchester Police’s roads policing team, added: “He’s great and he sings to the Countdown theme tune! He acts as a timer.
“He’s been trained to find missing people, so that’s what we do. We go out and find anyone who’s missing or has got themselves injured and doesn’t know quite where they are and we try and get them back to where they should be.
“We train twice a week locally and then once a month somewhere in the UK, it could be Wales, it could be the Peak District, anywhere.
“We basically we use a team, an army of what we call bodies, who are volunteers that go and lie in the hills somewhere and spend their time lying down reading books and waiting for a dog to come in to find them.”
Ace and Richard’s citation reads: “When the call went out that a walker had gone missing, PC Beswick and search dog Ace sprang into action.
“With help from National Police Air Service (NPAS), PC Beswick and Ace located the man, who went missing after the weather had turned and it became dark.
“NPAS was able to locate the man’s heat signature, which led to Ace and PC Beswick finding him on Middle Edge Moss a short time later.”
And PC Beswick commented: “Thanks to the fast response from officers, NPAS and OMRT, we were able to locate the man and prevent the worst outcome from potentially happening.”
Ace and PC Beswick received one of eight awards given out and Andrew Bowman, executive editor at BBC Radio Manchester, said: “Every year, when the Make a Difference Awards come around, I’m amazed by the nominations we receive.
“Reading about the incredible work taking place across our communities is both inspiring and humbling.
“The dedication, kindness and commitment shown by so many people is truly remarkable. Congratulations, and thank you for everything you do.”
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