Incident 119/2008

At 13.46hrs NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Control Centre paged the team for assistance with an incident initially reported in the Walker Fold Farm area of the moors north of Bolton.

At 13.58hrs a full team call out message was paged for team members to respond to the Walker Fold Farm RVP.
In further discussions with NWAS ECC our Team Leader Garry Rhodes established that the incident involved a walker in a party of ramblers on the moors who had suffered a suspected stroke, with an informant making their way to Walker Fold Farm to meet us and guide us to the incident site.

The NWAA Helimed 08 was already involved on another tasking, so with regards to the initial information our Team Leader requested NWAS ECC to call on GMP for their Air Support Unit helicopter to assist in this incident.
The weather at the time was glorious winter sunshine, with snow on the moors and adjacent roads.

Our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon was first at the RVP and upon meeting the male informant, he quickly established that the female casualty was being tended by her party members, and that given her location the GMP ASU helicopter would not be required, as the team could access the 67 year old walker via the moorland track system in a team Landrover. (GMP in liaison with Geoff Seddon therefore stood down their response.)

The casualty was in the Burnt Edge moorland area, which was accessed directly by two of our Team Landrover Ambulances. The woman involved, along with a friend were transported directly to Royal Bolton Hospital in a team Landrover, whilst the rest of the womans party continued with their walk back to Moss Bank Park.

In all seven team members were able to respond to this incident, with a further team member stood down responding.
The woman involved plus her party were all members of the Bolton C.H.A. Walking Club, who coincidentally are long time supporters and friends of the team, so in this instance we were able to repay directly their support of the team by rescueing one of their members.

The whole team wishes the woman involved a speedy recovery to full health, and a return to tramping the moors soon.