Incident 78/2016 – Joint Callout to Pendle Hill for two incident casualties

At 15:10 today the team were contacted by Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team for assistance with a casualty with a dislocated knee near the summit of Pendle Hill.

As the first team members were arriving on scene, a second casualty was reported, also on Pendle Hill, reporting a fractured ankle. Team Member Paul Brain was the first Bolton person on scene and assisted carrying half a Bell stretcher up the hill. Upon reaching the first casualty with the dislocated knee, he was directed to the second, more urgent, casualty with the fractured ankle.

With the limited numbers from both Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue and Bolton Mountain Rescue, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue were also mobilised to assist with the evacuation of the two casualties.

After administering pain killing gas, two members of Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue, two Bolton Mountain Rescue members, an NWAS paramedic and three members from the group the injured casualty were walking with carried the second casualty with the broken ankle 200 metres to the first casualty, where further team members were beginning to arrive.

With both casualties now loaded on to Bell stretchers, both casualties were carried down the hill to waiting NWAS Ambulances by members from all three mountain rescue teams.

As the teams reached the base of the base of Pendle Hill, Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team received a request for assistance with a casualty in Healey Dell, Rochdale. Due to the distance and personnel committed to the Pendle Hill job, this job was passed to Oldham Mountain Rescue Team.

This incident shows how teams are able to work together ensuring the communities of Lancashire and Greater Manchester are served by the local Mountain Rescue Teams.