Incident 48/2008

At circa 17:05 our Team Leader was contacted by NWAS (GMA) regards the team’s help with the evacuation of a young boy who had sustained a lower leg injury on the slopes of Wilton 1 Quarry, on the edge of the moorlands, north of Bolton.

The 13 year old had been playing with friends on the steep heather covered slopes overlooking the Wilton Arms, when he sustained a suspected serious lower leg fracture.

NWAS (GMA) Ambulance staff from the nearby Bolton North Ambulance Station had immobilised and splinted the boy’s leg injury, but required the team’s services to evacuate him from the steep slope and down to their Ambulance.

Team members prepare to load the young casualty onto a mountain rescue stretcher

16 Bolton MRT members responded, with our Deputy Leader Geoff Seddon arriving first on scene at 17:32, quickly followed by our responding team Landrover Ambulances (The casualty’s mother who had been informed of the accident also went up the hillside to be with her son and offer comfort).

The boy was placed in a Mountain Rescue Casualty Bag (a large weatherproof pile sleeping bag) for warmth and just after 18:00 the young teenager was safely evacuated on a mountain rescue stretcher to the Ambulance at the Wilton Arms, and then taken on to Royal Bolton Hospital.

The casualty is safety carried off the hill and to the waiting NWAS emergency ambulance

Throughout the evacuation from the hillside, the boy who was in considerable pain was given pain killing gas, and even managed the odd smile for us despite his pain.

All the team wishes the young teenager a speedy recovery back to full health.