Welcome to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary search and rescue charity and a member of Mountain Rescue England and Wales that represents 49 teams. Bolton MRT is made up entirely of volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We cover an area of over 800 square kilometres extending from Darwen in the West Pennine Moors to the north to beyond Manchester Airport in the south, and from Wigan to the west to the centre of Manchester in the east.
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
The chances are you will never need our services. However, since 1968, a great many have. Our callouts are diverse. For example, we help walkers, runners, bikers, climbers and even dogs that have found themselves in a precarious position. We also search for members of the public who are missing outside of urban areas, particularly those classed as vulnerable by the police.
It costs around £60,000 per year to run the team. Securing this amount of money each year is a constant challenge. We rely on the generosity of the public and other organisations who provide us with donations. Visit the donations page to learn more about how you can help raise money for the team.
Latest News
We’re recruiting for our Support Team! 🚨
Do you want to make a real difference and help others in your community?
Our Support Team is all about:
🔹 Fundraising to keep our lifesaving work going
🔹 Educating people about staying safe in the outdoors
🔹 Spreading the word and raising awareness of what we do
We’re looking for passionate, motivated people who care about helping others and want to get involved.
You don’t need to be out on the hill to make an impact — if you’ve got the drive to support others and give something back, we’d love to hear from you.
📩 Drop us a message to find out more.
Five incidents were attended by our volunteers last week.
On Tuesday morning we were asked to assist our colleagues Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT) on a search near to Halton, Lancashire.
At 16:17 on Friday afternoon we were asked to assist North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust with the rescue of a 78-year old male with an ankle injury in the woods at Lever Park, Horwich.
At 17:20 on Saturday evening we were asked to assist NWAS with the evacuation of an 11-year old male from the embankment of Earnsdale reservoir, Darwen.
On Sunday afternoon at 12:52, we received a callout to assist an 18-year old female with an ankle injury at the Pigeon Tower, Rivington.
On Sunday night at 23:49, NWAS asked us to assist in the rescue of an unresponsive 18-year old in woods at Lever Park, Horwich. Sadly, they were pronounced deceased at the scene. Our thoughts are with their family and friends.
Back in June, we updated you on the progress of our trainee operational team members after their first three months with the team. We are delighted to share that all twelve trainees have now successfully passed their six-month assessment.
Over two days, the trainees completed a range of challenges, including casualty rescue scenarios and a basic life support assessment, demonstrating the skills and commitment they have developed during their training.
As recognition of their hard work and dedication, our friends at Grub's boots have kindly presented each trainee with a pair of Frostline wellingtons. This follows a recent donation that has seen all operational team members receive boots, walking shoes, or wellies from Grubs. Thank you for your continued support.
Alongside their assessments, our trainees have remained active members of the team, attending fundraising events, maintenance days, and lectures. They also recently joined a training session with National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA) and three search dog handlers from Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team, where they learned about the role of search dogs and watched Molly, Holly, and Ralph successfully locate exercise casualties.
Their next milestone will be their nine-month review meetings as they continue working towards becoming operational team members. We are incredibly proud of their progress so far and wish them every success as they continue their training journey.
Please note that we will not be recruiting for the operational team until the current trainee group has transitioned into the operational team, which is expected to be no earlier than mid-2027. Any future recruitment will be advertised on our social media channels.
Thank you for your continued support, Grubs.
On Call 24 Hours
Search & Rescue
Event Safety Cover
In case of an emergency, DIAL 999, ask for ‘Police’ then ‘Mountain Rescue’
Give all your prepared details of the incident and ‘STAY WHERE YOU ARE’ until contacted by the rescue team.
If you have to make a further 999 call, follow this procedure in full again.