Incident 129/2006

At 23:59 Hrs Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service paged the Team for an incident at Sale Water Park.

The initial response call was made by our Team Leader who quickly established from GMFRS that our assistance may be required with the report of a woman fallen down an embankment.

A full Team pager call was made at 00:03 Hrs in the very early morning of Monday 20th November. Our first member on scene Dave Healey arrived at the Deckers Restaurant, Sale Water Park RVP at 00:06 Hrs and met with responding fire crews and a Fire Officer. Also on scene was a NWAS emergency ambulance crew & a NWAS Operational Manager, there was also multiple GMP resources on scene.

In contact with our first member on scene, our Team Leader whilst still responding learnt that what was initially thought of as a rescue call was developing into a possible search.

Our Team Leader in liaison with GMP Control then requested a GMP Missing Person Search Manager, should the incident continue to develop into a search.

By 00:24 Hrs GMP ASU Helicopter India 99 was conducting a search operation over the Sale Water Park, in co-ordination with GMFRS Inshore Rescue Boat, which had deployed on to the water area itself.

As more Team members arrived, news was received at the multi agency emergency services RV point & Control, that a GMP general purpose Police dog unit had located the woman (along with her dog on a path by the lakeside, having apparently fallen into the water.)

With assistance the 36 year old woman involved was able to walk to the nearby Control point where she there received medical attention from the NWAS Emergency Ambulance Crew with assistance from one of our female Team members and a female GMP Officer, prior to being taken to Wythenshawe Hospital.

This was a successful outcome to a large multi-agency response with took place in the hours of darkness in torrential rain and the relative remote setting of Sale Water Park, despite its close proximity to both the M60 motorway & nearby conurbations.

In total 20 Team members responded inclusive of our four Team landrovers, our Control Trailer & our specialist canoe & kayak search unit.

GMFRS resources included pump appliances from Sale & Stretford Fire Station, the inshore rescue boat and its towing pump appliance from Eccles Fire Station & the Station Commander from Sale Fire Station. GMP resources included their helicopter, at least 11 officers on the ground and a Police dog Team. NWAS (Manchester Locality) responded with an emergency ambulance and an Area Operational Manager.

(p.s. – see the Guestbook entry on our website from NWAS, dated shortly after the incident was completed – at 04:46 AM on the 20th November!)