Walkers are being urged to take care after a man died whilst walking in a remote part of East Lancashire.
Police were contacted around 5.20pm on Saturday (2 October) after a walker discovered a body in a peat bog in Saddle Fell, near Chipping, in the Trough of Bowland.
Due to the remote location, a search and rescue operation was launched the following morning involving the police helicopter and Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team.
Police believe the man had become trapped after falling into the peat bog and think his body could have been there for up to three weeks.
DS Nigel Watson said: "We believe the man travelled on the train from Ormskirk to Preston on 10 September and never made a return journey.
"A member of the public found the body on Sunday morning but there was no phone reception. It took him a number of hours to walk off the fell to raise the alarm.
"The body has not yet been formerly identified although we believe he is a 75-year-old man from Liverpool. It appears to have been a tragic accident and we are currently trying to trace next of kin."
A post mortem examination will be carried out this week to establish the cause of death, which is not being treated as suspicious.
Phil O'Brien, of Bowland and Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, is now urging walkers to tell someone where they are going and to make sure they are fully equipped.
He said: "I urge walkers not to take any unnecessary risks and where possible, to use appropriate maps.
“They should tell someone where they are going and when to expect them back. They should make sure they are wearing appropriate clothing and footwear and to check the weather forecast before setting off.
“Inexperienced walkers should make sure they are with someone with them who knows the area well."
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