A 999 operator replays harrowing call from man missing in Wigan woods

The call handler recollects the moment she received the call from a 20-year-old man who had gone missing and attempted suicide.

She helped the man use the what3words app to locate him.

The Greater Manchester Police contact centre has released some of the unforgettable cases that operators deal with.

These workers are on the frontline of policing and often deal with around 5,000 calls a day.

They never know what to expect when they pick up the phone and are often helping someone on the worst day of their life.

The operator called Nicole said: “A young boy rang up who was only 20 and he was suicidal. He’d ran away from home; his family didn’t know where he was and he was in a forest in Wigan. It’s really quite a rural area.

“He rang up, he was distressed on the phone and he really needed calming down. He’d harmed himself. I stayed on the phone with him, reassured him and tried to build a rapport.

“Then we spent some time trying to figure out where he was. I asked him what he could see and we used the what3words app. We finally got officers out to him and that saved his life.

“Shortly after he did lose consciousness and we had to get to him really quick to save his life. So we did in the end when officers found him. That does stick with me.”

If you or anyone you know is struggling, you can calthe free Samaritans helpline on 116123.