Incident 34/2009

At 20:28 our Team Leader was contacted by NWAS (Greater Manchester) Ambulance Control followed by a pager call to the team at 20:30 from NWAS Control, both regarding the report of an accident in a quarry in the Egerton area of Bolton.

In consultation with ambulance control, our Team Leader established the incident location was Egerton (Cox Green) Quarry. A full team pager call was made at 20:36 with our first team member arriving on scene minutes later.

This incident involved a 51 year old climber from the Bury area who was apparently lead climbing a rock climb in the quarry known as “The Crack” (graded V.Diff). Apparently a rock hold gave way resulting in the male climber falling a reported 15ft.

With team members assembing at the Cox Green Road (North) entrance to the quarry, with others still responding, and with three team members in the quarry, it quickly became established that with the aid of a large number of rock climbers in the quarry (reported to be 16 in total), the rock climbers were able to assist the responding ambulance crew from Ramsbottom with the carry-out of the male climber who we believe sustained rib injuries in his fall.

The climber was transferred to the ambulance by circa 21:10 and was taken by ambulance to Royal Bolton Hospital.

In total, 23 of our team members responded to the incident with a further six team members stood down responding at nearby locations (3 of our Landrover Mountain Rescue ambulances also responded to this incident).