At 12.05hrs this chilly afternoon, with a large amount of snow lying on the local moors, including still freezing conditions, we were paged by NWAS EOC Broughton, regards a twelve year old boy “fallen from sledge – leg injury,” on a track near Rivington Hall.
A duplicate pager call out was also received a minute later from NWAS EOC Parkway.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE immediately answered the pager call, whilst Team Call Out Contacts Steve Fletcher and Mike Marsh, along with our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh, all made their way to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, to mobilise the two team Land Rovers there, as did team members Nigel Booth and Michael Eddleston (just flown back from New York!) to our GMFRS Bolton North Community Fire Station garage.
Our Team Leader liaised with NWAS EOC Broughton Air Desk despatcher, to try and better determine the actual casualty site, as contact could not be re-established with the casualty party / informant.
With three team vehicles about to mobilise, and now with better information regards the likely casualty site (based on our Team Leader’s expert local knowledge of the area concerned) a full team pager call out was made at 12.23hrs.
The initial RVP of Rivington Hall Barn (locally known as the Top Barn) was used by the responding NWAS Emergency Ambulance, but upon arrival at circa 12.04hrs the crew had not located the casualty site, which led quickly to our involvement.
Our first responding Land Rover went to the ‘Top Barn, but by this time the NWAS Ambulance had relocated to Lower House Car Park, Rivington, based upon the suggestion of our Team Leader.
All team vehicles were requested to RVP at Lower House Car Park, where our first arriving Land Rover with our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh and Matthew Hailwood on board, turned up at 12.37hrs, to find the NWAS Ambulance having traction difficulties on the partly ice and compacted snow covered car park.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE next arrived here at 12.40hrs, and Matthew Hailwood was quickly despatched up the likely track of Old Kates, where we thought the casualty site to be.
Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh commenced a control point whilst our Team Leader briefed other arriving members on the situation.
Team member Mark Scott, out walking with his wife Megan, in the vicinity of the Pigeon Tower – a local landmark, descended the Old Kates track, and at circa 12.47hrs, at the same time as Matthew Hailwood, came across the casualty site.
A twelve year old boy, sledging, has suffered a very serious femur fracture, and was being comforted by other members of his party, who had a casualty shelter to hand.
The group of three adults and five children, all from Manchester, had been on a winter walk and snow sledging, when this incident occurred.
By 12.57hrs, medical care, splintage and evacuation equipment was on scene at the casualty site, which was alongside the Old Kates track, just below a small stone quarry (known as a delph)
The assistance of the NWAA Air Ambulance was requested and agreed, whilst team members treated the young boy’s serious injury.
Morphine and Entonox were used for the boy’s pain, whilst his leg was splinted with a Kendrick Leg Traction Splint.
At 13.17hrs Helimed 72 landed very close to the casualty site, managing in an excellent piece of flying from Pilot / Captain Alan Bryers, to put the aircraft safely down on a small flat area atop the nearby quarry, to offload the on board Doctor and Paramedic.
It was decided once the Helimed crew had been off loaded, to reposition the helicopter to the fields, next to the Lower House Car Park area, to enable a casualty handover, with Helimed lifting off at 13.22hrs.
The casualty was stretcher evacuated, commencing at 13.35hrs, using our SAR Alpine Lite Mountain Rescue Stretcher, with most of our attending members at the scene (13x) wearing boot chains or crampons, due to the very icy and snowy conditions on the Old Kates track.
Passing members of the public, and the adult helpers with the boys party, kindly helped us carry kit down the track.
With the casualty loaded in to Helimed 72, and further treated and assessed, at 14.12hrs, Helimed 72 lifted off for the short direct flight to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
By 14.36hrs our last members had departed the RVP.
Team members Nigel Booth and Matthew Hailwood in our Land Rover BM3, then travelled directly to Manchester MRI to retrieve and recover team equipment despatched with the casualty in the helicopter.
Due to traffic conditions, they didn’t return to our Ladybridge Hall base / HQ until 18.30hrs in the early evening, where they also replenished the Entonox used and checked over the equipment used.
The following resources were utilised and involved on this rescue incident
NWAS (Greater Manchester) Emergency Ambulance and two crew (Paramedic and EMT) from Bolton North Ambulance Station.
NWAA Helimed 72 from City Airport Manchester (Barton), crew on board, Pilot / Captain, Doctor and Paramedic.
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
Four Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, radio call signs ‘Bolton Mobiles 1,2,3 and 4.’
Fourteen team Call Out list members present during the rescue, with thirteen of these at the casualty site, whilst Deputy Team Leader maintained our control / RVP point.
One further team member arrived after the incident conclusion.
Members of the casualty’s party who initially comforted and cared for the boy, and passing members of the public, who assisted us to carry back our equipment.
At 10:32 this snowy and very icy morning, as team members were assembled at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ, ready to depart for an outdoor training exercise, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted by North West Ambulance Service EOC (Manchester) regarding a local incident requiring the teams assistance.
An NWAS ambulance crew was attending a home address in the Bromley Cross area of Bolton, with the report of a very seriously ill patient, however due to the compacted snow and ice on the roads outside this address, there were some initial concerns that the Ambulance crew might need the teams assistance to transfer the casualty to their Ambulance, and then assist the Ambulance get off these local estate roads back to the main road.
The assembled nineteen team members were mobilised in five team vehicles to the address given, as at this stage it was uncertain whether or not a stretcher carry over any distance would be required.
Following our arrival at the incident location at 10:45, the NWAS crew had been able to access the address, transport the casualty to their vehicle, and make progress on the icy roads – with some care.
Team members present assisted the NWAS crew with their exit from the estate, with the ambulance departing for hospital at 11:05.
As part of our provision of assistance to NWAS (Greater Manchester) during this evenings New Years Eve, our first incident of this evening – and last of 2014 as it turned out, came in at 22.10hrs, when our Bolton Mobile 1 Land Rover was initially despatched to care for a 98 year old woman injured in her home, in Sale, Manchester.
At the request of NWAS, we transported this lady to Wythenshawe Hospital in our Bolton Mobile 5 Ford Transit Minibus Ambulance, which was called to assist our first responding vehicle.
This represented our last incident attended in 2014, with 101 incidents attended, breaking down in to 105 actual separate incidents when multiple incidents recorded under Incident 59-2014 and Incident 66-2014 are taken into account.
We also provided in addition throughout 2014, the provision of standby rescue cover to twenty events, mostly local Fell Races.
At 12:12 today the team was contacted by the North West Ambulance Service (Lancashire) to assist with an incident where a lady had slipped on ice.
The 64 year old lady had been walking with family members descending the track from Darwen (Jubilee) Tower where she had slipped on ice suffering a suspected ankle fracture. The party were able to give an accurate grid reference to the ambulance control centre which assisted in our team being able to access her location quickly.
First on scene was Paul Brain who was able to direct the Land Rover ambulance with more members to the casualty site, and provide some protection from the cold weather with a shelter.
After stabilising the casualties ankle with a vacuum splint and administering pain killing gas, the casualty was transferred to a mountain rescue stretcher and carefully carried down the icy path to the main road by the Sunnyhurst Inn.
Here the casualty was transferred into the back of our BM3 Land Rover ambulance where she was transported to Royal Blackburn Hospital.
In total 17 full Team Call Out members attended this incident with 3 team vehicles., and one friend of the team, Maggie Allred.
We would like to thank the family of the casualty and other passing walkers who stayed on the hill helping to keep the casualty comfortable, and for other walkers who helped to guide our mountain rescue resources to the casualty location.
We would like to wish the lady a speedy recovery back to walking the hills of Darwen.
At 13.44hrs this very wet and cold winter afternoon, we were contacted by SARCALL and pager by GMP for the teams immediate assistance with a missing 61 years old female, in the Deane area of Bolton.
The call was answered by Call Out Contact Mike Marsh, who liaised with the GMP Missing Person Search Manager as to what the team was required to do.
By 14.07hrs a full team pager call out was made for members to assemble at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for 15.30hrs.
This missing woman was also the subject of our Incident 46 – 2014 of Tuesday 29th April 2014, and as she was missing from the same location, our search tasking and planning was almost exactly a repeat of what we had done in April this year.
Search taskings were made in the Deane area of Bolton, including Deane Golf Course, Haslam Park and the valley of Middle Brook.
Twenty seven Bolton MRT members responded, which also included our Mountain Rescue Trailing Search Dog Boris and his Handler Steve Nelson, our DVSD Search Dog Sasha and her Handler Dave Marsh.
All search operations were conducted in the dark, with torrential rain conditions all too prevalent, making this search quite difficult (and extremely wet) for our members taking part.
Given the proximity of the search areas to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, the control and co-ordination of the search aspect of this search operation was conducted from our Base / HQ, as opposed to the more usual use of our Incident Control Vehicle.
GMP search enquiries and patrols also took place in this search operation.
By 20.26hrs our last tasked search area was completed, and with no trace of the missing woman, our part in this search operation was concluded, with GMP enquiries continuing.
A full team pager stand down was made at 20.46hrs. FOOTNOTE: At 15.18hrs on Wednesday 24th December 2014, we were informed that this missing woman had been located alive and well in the Chorley New Road area of Bolton, giving us, GMP and very importantly worried family members, closure on this incident.
Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family following the sad news of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Many of our members were inspired to enjoy the outdoors through the DofE Award. The picture shows members meeting the Duke in 1979. pic.twitter.com/SSTC30CcPB
At 4.56pm yesterday we were requested by NWAS to assist with a 22yo male who had fallen at Tiger’s Clough. The team treated him with pain relief & placed a vacuum splint around the injured ankle, then stretchered him to the waiting ambulance.We wish him a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/ZEbrt4vaLT
1/2 From all of us at BMRT we would just like to thank every one of you that donated to us this weekend. It was a hard decision for us not to do our usual Easter meet and great around Rivington but for the safety of our team members, we decided against it. pic.twitter.com/xkNOo8equX
1/ Today is usually a busy and important day for the team. With so many people visiting the Rivington area in particular, we would usually have our displays set up around the area to help educate people about outdoor safety. pic.twitter.com/0iKNZaqWU1
If you see a fire in the countryside, report it immediately 🔥
Leave the area as soon as possible and dial 999 📱
If you witness illegal activity report it to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 pic.twitter.com/I7eRXLwQx4
❓ Did you know that moorland and wildfires can be started in a number of ways?
Sadly, many are started deliberately, however, some can break out by people being careless with barbecues, campfires or not disposing of cigarettes properly 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WDHdEHFcXA
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Jan 22 2015
Incident 23/2015 – Twelve year old boy suffers serious leg fracture snow sledging at Rivington
At 12.05hrs this chilly afternoon, with a large amount of snow lying on the local moors, including still freezing conditions, we were paged by NWAS EOC Broughton, regards a twelve year old boy “fallen from sledge – leg injury,” on a track near Rivington Hall.
A duplicate pager call out was also received a minute later from NWAS EOC Parkway.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE immediately answered the pager call, whilst Team Call Out Contacts Steve Fletcher and Mike Marsh, along with our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh, all made their way to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, to mobilise the two team Land Rovers there, as did team members Nigel Booth and Michael Eddleston (just flown back from New York!) to our GMFRS Bolton North Community Fire Station garage.
Our Team Leader liaised with NWAS EOC Broughton Air Desk despatcher, to try and better determine the actual casualty site, as contact could not be re-established with the casualty party / informant.
With three team vehicles about to mobilise, and now with better information regards the likely casualty site (based on our Team Leader’s expert local knowledge of the area concerned) a full team pager call out was made at 12.23hrs.
The initial RVP of Rivington Hall Barn (locally known as the Top Barn) was used by the responding NWAS Emergency Ambulance, but upon arrival at circa 12.04hrs the crew had not located the casualty site, which led quickly to our involvement.
Our first responding Land Rover went to the ‘Top Barn, but by this time the NWAS Ambulance had relocated to Lower House Car Park, Rivington, based upon the suggestion of our Team Leader.
All team vehicles were requested to RVP at Lower House Car Park, where our first arriving Land Rover with our Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh and Matthew Hailwood on board, turned up at 12.37hrs, to find the NWAS Ambulance having traction difficulties on the partly ice and compacted snow covered car park.
Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE next arrived here at 12.40hrs, and Matthew Hailwood was quickly despatched up the likely track of Old Kates, where we thought the casualty site to be.
Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh commenced a control point whilst our Team Leader briefed other arriving members on the situation.
Team member Mark Scott, out walking with his wife Megan, in the vicinity of the Pigeon Tower – a local landmark, descended the Old Kates track, and at circa 12.47hrs, at the same time as Matthew Hailwood, came across the casualty site.
A twelve year old boy, sledging, has suffered a very serious femur fracture, and was being comforted by other members of his party, who had a casualty shelter to hand.
The group of three adults and five children, all from Manchester, had been on a winter walk and snow sledging, when this incident occurred.
By 12.57hrs, medical care, splintage and evacuation equipment was on scene at the casualty site, which was alongside the Old Kates track, just below a small stone quarry (known as a delph)
The assistance of the NWAA Air Ambulance was requested and agreed, whilst team members treated the young boy’s serious injury.
Morphine and Entonox were used for the boy’s pain, whilst his leg was splinted with a Kendrick Leg Traction Splint.
At 13.17hrs Helimed 72 landed very close to the casualty site, managing in an excellent piece of flying from Pilot / Captain Alan Bryers, to put the aircraft safely down on a small flat area atop the nearby quarry, to offload the on board Doctor and Paramedic.
It was decided once the Helimed crew had been off loaded, to reposition the helicopter to the fields, next to the Lower House Car Park area, to enable a casualty handover, with Helimed lifting off at 13.22hrs.
The casualty was stretcher evacuated, commencing at 13.35hrs, using our SAR Alpine Lite Mountain Rescue Stretcher, with most of our attending members at the scene (13x) wearing boot chains or crampons, due to the very icy and snowy conditions on the Old Kates track.
Passing members of the public, and the adult helpers with the boys party, kindly helped us carry kit down the track.
With the casualty loaded in to Helimed 72, and further treated and assessed, at 14.12hrs, Helimed 72 lifted off for the short direct flight to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
By 14.36hrs our last members had departed the RVP.
Team members Nigel Booth and Matthew Hailwood in our Land Rover BM3, then travelled directly to Manchester MRI to retrieve and recover team equipment despatched with the casualty in the helicopter.
Due to traffic conditions, they didn’t return to our Ladybridge Hall base / HQ until 18.30hrs in the early evening, where they also replenished the Entonox used and checked over the equipment used.
The following resources were utilised and involved on this rescue incident
By Steven Fletcher • 2014, Incident • Tags: SnowSledging