2003

Following a Major Incident Standby in Bolton on Wednesday, at 12:25 the Rescue Team was called out at the request of Gold Ambulance Control, to go to Major Incident Standby status. 16 Team members were able to respond immediately, manning our 4 Landrover ambulances, our standby location was at Bolton Fire Station, along side specialist GMAS resources and multiple GMFRS resources. The team was stood down by Gold Ambulance Control at 14:40 hrs.

At 16:25 we were contacted to urgently assist GMAS in the search for a woman reported to have taken an overdose in the Turton & Entwistle reservoir area. Team vehicles and 34 team members were responding when the woman was located by police officers, who were also called to the scene.

At 11:15 our search dog team of Dave Marsh and dog Chi, with navigator John Carlin were called out to assist BPMRT in a search for a missing man in the Eccleston area of Chorley. The man was unfortunately found deceased by a BPMRT member.

We were called out 15:26 by GMAS to provide urgent assistance at a moorland road RTA, alongside Scout Road, Wilton Quarries, where it was reported a vehicle had left the road and was down a steep hillside.
A duplicate call to this incident was also made by GMCFS, to assist their resources despatched to the accident.
Multiple GMAS, GMCFS and GMP resources responded, alongside 30 Bolton team members.
Unfortunately the male driver died in the accident, and our Deputy Leader, who had arrived after the Ambulance and GMAS RV, and prior to the GMCFS resources arriving, assisted the Ambulance crews, with Firefighters to stretcher carry the driver up to the waiting Ambulance.
The actual location was not as difficult to reach as initially thought, and most of our personnel were stood down en route, one team vehicle had arrived at this time, along with a small number of team members.
The NWAA – “Helimed 08” was also called to this incident but stood down prior to arrival.
Although a very tragic accident, this incident again demonstrated the multi agency approach to certain incidents within the Greater Manchester County area.

In a further continuation of our efforts at Great Sankey, Warrington, assisting Cheshire Constabulary in the search for missing 17 year old Shefilea Ahmed, five team members were involved all day in searches bordering the River Mersey and the Morley Common area. The days events were inconclusive.