Emergency services praised for 'incredible work' in successful search to find missing Doncaster woman

The emergency services have been praised for the assistance they provided in the successful search to find an 84-year-old woman with Alzheimers who went missing from her Doncaster home for two days.
Connie pictured with her family after the extensive search to find her. Picture: Phil Poskitt.Connie pictured with her family after the extensive search to find her. Picture: Phil Poskitt.
Connie pictured with her family after the extensive search to find her. Picture: Phil Poskitt.

Constance Wilkinson, known as Connie, went missing from her home near to Potteric Carr Nature Reserve at just after 4pm on Friday evening.

After a large-scale search that lasted two days, Connie was found on Sunday afternoon laid on her side at the bottom of an embankment at the side of the motorway in Rossington, sunburnt on one side and dehydrated.

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The 84-year-old was said to be otherwise in 'good health, uninjured and extremely happy that she was found', and was admitted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Connie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day searchConnie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day search
Connie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day search

Connie's grandson, Phil Poskitt, has praised the efforts of the emergency services and volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring her home.

He said: "We are all so relieved to see her again and are truly humbled by the response of the emergency services and volunteers that assisted in such a huge search operation in Doncaster, with such little information to go by.

"A special mention to Cath Coulter (CID), Mick Rowley, Steve Roberts, Mark Bloodworth, Liam Watson, Leon Rudkin, Scott Green, Nat Shaw and so many others from South Yorkshire Police, to the responding members of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, my friends and colleagues in the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the Mountain Rescue Teams of Edale, Woodhead, Holme Valley and Yorkshire Lowland SART, to all the staff friends & colleagues at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, to the volunteers and members of the public that have actively looked for Connie over the weekend; to Beth, Mike, Ruth, Pat, James, Ian, Helen and everybody else that gave up countless hours of their day/night to help us…. thank you.

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"Words cannot describe how thankful and appreciative we all are, and for the incredible response that we had.

Connie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day searchConnie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day search
Connie was found on Sunday afternoon, following a two-day search

"There truly is nothing better than the kindness of people, and it really is times like this that demonstrate the incredible work of our emergency services in the United Kingdom."

Several different mountain rescue teams assisted in the search to find Connie, with more than 70 volunteers from Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team (MRT), Edale MRT, Holme

Valley MRT as well as a team from Yorkshire Lowland Search and Rescue. Specialist Search and Rescue dogs from SARDA England were also involved in the operation.

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A spokesman for Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team said: "The teams focussed initially on searching parts of the wildlife reserve at Potteric Carr closest to where Connie was last seen, gradually spreading the search area wider.

"Unfortunately, Connie was still missing on Saturday night, meaning that she spent a second night out in the cold and rain."

They added: "Connie is now doing well recovering in hospital. Her very relieved family have expressed their immense gratitude to all those professionals and volunteers who helped find Connie."