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Missing man found after massive search
A man whose disappearance sparked a mammoth search operation has been found and taken to hospital.
Keith Michael Hope went missing from his home in Glebe Terrace, Easington Colliery, on Saturday.
The 54-year-old was last seen by his wife when he went out for a walk at about 1.30pm on Saturday.
But when he did not return, the police, coastguard and Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team launched a search of the area.
Officers feared for his welfare when he had still not been found on Sunday morning, and further mountain rescue teams from Cleveland, Northumberlad and Swaledale were called in to assist in the search.
More than 50 mountain rescue volunteers and five mountain rescue search dogs were drafted in to help police.
The three RNLI lifeboats were scrambled shortly after 9.30am to join the shore-based search teams to help search the six-mile stretch of coastline between Seaham and Horden.
Mr Hope was later found at about 11.30am when a police helicopter picked up a heat source on its scopes.
A mountain rescue team found him a few minutes later near a stream to the south of Easington Colliery. He was then airlifted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool.
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Weather for Sunderland
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Heavy sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
