in the news
During May, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team responded to seven separate incidents across our area.
Every callout was carried out by volunteers who gave up their time to help people in difficulty, at short notice, and often in challenging conditions.
Alongside these incidents, our operational team and probationers continued to train regularly to maintain and develop the skills needed for search and rescue work. This included casualty care, rope work, navigation, search techniques, and working safely in difficult terrain.
Behind the scenes, our support team and trustees also gave countless hours to keep the organisation running. From fundraising and administration, to vehicle maintenance, equipment checks, and welfare support, there was a huge amount of work that happened away from the hillside.
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is entirely volunteer-led, and none of this would have been possible without the commitment and dedication of everyone involved.
Thank you to our team members, supporters, and the public for your continued support throughout another busy month.
At 15:01 today the team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service for an incident in the Tockholes plantations.
A 47 year old male was mountain biking on one of the bridleways and had sustained multiple injuries in a fall from his bike.
An NWAS ambulance crew had reached the patient on foot, and our help was requested to assist with additional equipment and extrication. The male was carried through the wood on stretcher to the waiting ambulance.
We wish the casualty involved a speedy recovery and return to the sport.
Our second visit to Hindley in four days came thanks to a callout at 14:46 yesterday from North West Ambulance Service.
A 33 year old female was reported to have sustained a lower leg injury in the stream valley at Borsdane Woods.
Two team vehicles attended and team members worked alongside an NWAS ambulance crew to treat and evacuate the casualty to the road.
Our best wishes go to the casualty for a full and speedy recovery.
Wednesday night was a busy one for our team. Fourteen team members and four vehicles were busy providing standby rescue cover for the Horwich RMI trail race, the team's leadership was preparing to meet, and other team members were delivering a training session to our new trainees.
At 19:34, the team was contacted by the North West Ambulance Service for assistance with a casualty who had suffered a serious lower leg injury after slipping on mud in woodland near Hindley. Adaptable as always, we reallocated our resources and 12 team members responded, providing pain relief, splinting the injured limb, and carrying the casualty to the waiting ambulance.
Meanwhile, on the fell race, team members treated two runners who had stumbled near the end of the race, sustaining cuts and grazes.
We wish all the casualties a speedy recovery.
At 18.28 this evening the team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service with the report of a person in the water at Jumbles Reservoir, Bolton.
We worked alongside colleagues from NWAS and their Hazardous Area Response Team, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, North West Air Ambulance, National Police Air Service, Lancashire Constabulary, and United Utilities. A HM Coastguard helicopter was also requested.
A seriously injured male was rescued from within the overflow structure on the reservoir dam and was conveyed to hospital for further treatment.
*update...just 1 book remaining*
We only have 5 books left! Please help us sell out and raise a total of over £200 for the team. Just £5 a book with prizes up to £1,000 to be won!How would you like the chance to win £1,000? 🦆💷
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is selling raffle tickets for the Rotary Club of Turton’s annual Duck Race, where there’s a fantastic £1,000 prize for the first duck across the line!
Tickets are just £1 each, or a book of 5 for £5.
If you’d like to get involved, simply drop us a DM and we’ll be in touch.
A huge thank you to the Rotary Club of Turton for their support — Bolton MRT keeps 90% of all proceeds, helping us continue our vital work in the community.
You’d be quackers not to take part! 🦆
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CALL-OUT UPDATE
Over the past few weeks, the team has responded to three separate incidents across our area. Here is a brief summary of each.
24th April - Winter Hill
The team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service to assist with a casualty in distress on Winter Hill. Team members worked alongside an NWAS crew on scene.
4th May - Farmland near Tyldesley
The team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service to assist with a casualty who had sustained a serious leg injury on farmland near Tyldesley. Team members provided casualty care on scene before the casualty was transferred into the care of the ambulance crew for onward transport to hospital. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.
6th May - Bradshaw, Bolton
The team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service to assist with a casualty in a river in the Bradshaw area of Bolton. Team members deployed to the scene, and the casualty, safely recovered by Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue service, was transferred into the care of NWAS.
In each instance, our volunteers responded without hesitation, leaving home, work, and family at a moment’s notice. If you would like to support the team, please visit the link in our bio.
We’re recruiting for our Support Team! 🚨
Do you want to make a real difference and help others in your community?
Our Support Team is all about:
🔹 Fundraising to keep our lifesaving work going
🔹 Educating people about staying safe in the outdoors
🔹 Spreading the word and raising awareness of what we do
We’re looking for passionate, motivated people who care about helping others and want to get involved.
You don’t need to be out on the hill to make an impact — if you’ve got the drive to support others and give something back, we’d love to hear from you.
📩 Drop us a message to find out more.
How would you like the chance to win £1,000? 🦆💷
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is selling raffle tickets for the Rotary Club of Turton’s annual Duck Race, where there’s a fantastic £1,000 prize for the first duck across the line!
Tickets are just £1 each, or a book of 5 for £5.
If you’d like to get involved, simply drop us a DM and we’ll be in touch.
A huge thank you to the Rotary Club of Turton for their support — Bolton MRT keeps 90% of all proceeds, helping us continue our vital work in the community.
You’d be quackers not to take part! 🦆
A huge thank you to We Run Edgworth for raising an incredible £1,300 in support of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
We Run Edgworth recently invited members of the team to their club party, where they revealed how much they had raised for their chosen charities over the past year.
We’re incredibly grateful for the support, and for the opportunity to join you and celebrate.
Rivington Pike, a much-loved landmark whose popular tower is very clearly visible from Horwich, Blackrod, and Chorley, was once again the setting for the annual Rivington Pike Fell Race on Easter Saturday. This short, punishing, fell race, organised by Horwich RMI Harriers, starts at the Crown Hotel at the northwestern limits of Horwich, and ascends 800ft to the Pike – a round trip of just under 3 ¼ miles. Being a short race, the pace of the fastest runners is astonishing, and watching them on the descent is heart-stopping. These elite runners manage the course in around 15 minutes!
Not surprisingly, this race is one of the main highlights of the Easter weekend, alongside the ascent of the Pike by large numbers of local families, pausing on the way at the traditional Fair on George’s Lane, just below the Pike, for ice cream, burgers, or candy floss.
As is always the case, Bolton MRT were in attendance at all the age-group race categories: Under 10s (23 competitors), Under 12s (30 competitors), Under 14s and Under 16s (43 competitors) and Seniors (357 competitors).
We are pleased to record that there were only two cases of minor injuries requiring assistance from Bolton MRT.
Congratulations to all the competitors who took part in this wonderful race!
Thanks to all who interacted with our rather silly April Fool post today. Now for something serious.
Even without a helicopter, our running costs are around £60,000 per year. Remember, we’re funded entirely by public donations.
For example, we’re currently in the process of replacing all of our rope-rescue harnesses. This will cost around £2500.
If you could help us with this cost by donating, fundraising on our behalf, or just sharing our post, we would be hugely grateful. We have a fundraising pack to support anyone raising funds on our behalf, contact fo@boltonmrt.org.uk.
Thank you for supporting Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Recognising the pressure we sometimes put on partner agencies, we’ve been running a quiet programme of up-skilling our emergency response drivers. Introducing our new ‘baby’: Bolton Two Zero. Thankfully, one of our new probationers, Avril, is a subject matter expert when it comes to helicopter piloting, having flown with the elite French unit ‘Folie d’Abord’, and she will be leading our newly formed ‘Air Team’.
This latest, much-needed addition to our fleet has been fitted with all the kit you’d expect to see on our Land Rover 110s and Ssangyong Musso. Alongside radios, medical kit, splints, stretchers, and a search light, it’s also been fitted with blue lights, a siren, and - just in case anyone manages to get it stuck - a hydraulic winch to aid self-recovery.
Now, as you can imagine, this sort of specialised vehicle doesn’t come cheap. Neither does the base preparation required to house it. Thanks to a recent, large bequest, we’ve been able to make this happen faster than you can say ‘Marty, get in the DeLorean’.
As well as having a hangar built, we’ve also employed a team of landscapers to create the most perfectly manicured heli-pad lawn, employing a proprietary mix of Bermuda grass and bent-grass to ensure that we not only have a hardwearing surface, but also that we maintain the ideal, vibrant shade of green.
We urge you to look out for B20 any time from 12:00, 1st April. Give us a wave if you see us out.
🚨🚨🚨CALLOUT #09🚨🚨🚨
On Thursday morning (26/03/2026), the team was called out to assist a 66-year-old man who had slipped and sustained an injury to his ankle in the vicinity of Clowbridge Reservoir.
Team members were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they located the casualty and carried out an initial assessment. Due to the level of pain and suspected severity of the injury, appropriate pain relief was administered before the leg was carefully immobilised using a vacuum splint.
Given the challenging terrain, the casualty was then transferred onto the team’s all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and transported safely over rough ground to the road head. There, a waiting ambulance crew took over his care for onward transfer to the hospital.
We want to extend our thanks to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team for their valuable assistance during this incident.
We have since been informed that the casualty sustained a double fracture to his lower leg. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.
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Please remember, RPMRT are a charity wholly supported by you the public, enabling us to provide a 24/7 emergency service 365 days a year.
Text 'RPMRT' along with an amount you wish to donate to 70085 (ie 'RPMRT 10') or go online to justgiving.com/RPMRT
Please 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 & 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘 this post and 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 to help support us and raise awareness of the work we do throughout the community.
A huge thank you to the Long Distance Walkers’ Association for their generous donation of £600 to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Support like this makes a real difference, enabling us to continue providing a vital search and rescue service for our community, 24/7, 365 days a year.
We’re very grateful for your kindness and support. It means a great deal to everyone on the team.
It costs around £60,000 per year to keep our wheels turning. If you’d like to help you can donate using the button below.
Two call-outs and a Standby Rescue Cover on a sunny Saturday!
While two of our crews were deployed providing safety cover for the fantastic Smithy’s Charity Trail Run, our first call-out came mid-morning. We received a request to assist a walker in distress on Holcombe Moor. The casualty was experiencing breathing and vision problems, along with nausea on standing. One of our off-road drivers transported the two-person North West Ambulance Service crew along rough moorland tracks in one of our 4x4 vehicles, before team members guided them just over 1km to the casualty’s location. The NWAS crew took the lead on casualty care, whilst team members prepared for a potentially tricky extrication. However, colleagues from Rossendale and Pendle MRT accessed the moor with their Polaris all-terrain vehicle, allowing the casualty to be transported safely off the hill. She was then transferred to an ambulance.
The second call-out, at 19:42, was to woodland near Atherton, where a casualty had sustained a back injury and was unable to move due to significant pain. Working alongside North West Ambulance Service, including their Hazardous Area Response Team, a joint decision was made for Bolton MRT to manage the extraction using our vacuum mattress, and Bell stretcher with wheel. The casualty was then conveyed to the waiting ambulance for onward transport to hospital.
Both incidents were excellent examples of effective multi-agency teamwork, and we thank all partner organisations for their support.
We wish both casualties speedy recoveries.
We’d also like to thank the organisers of Smithy’s Charity Trail Run for once again inviting us, and congratulate the 111 runners who took on the tough, five mile course.
Last Saturday morning, members of our Water Rescue Team were at High Rid Reservoir for a training exercise focused on power boat operations.
The session provided an opportunity to practice boat-handling skills in a controlled environment, ensuring our team remains confident and capable when operating on the water.
We also rehearsed ‘swimmer in the water’ casualty recovery drills, to help improve coordination, communication, and efficiency during rescues.
Regular training like this is vital in helping us maintain a high level of preparedness, enabling us to respond safely and effectively when called upon.
Last Wednesday, 11th March, Bolton MRT held its 2026 AGM, reflecting on the past year and recognising the people who make the team what it is.
We were pleased to acknowledge the long service of a number of dedicated members, whose continued commitment underpins everything we do.
This year also marked the retirement of the Howard Hill Memorial Tankard for exceptional service over the past 12 months. After many years, it had quite literally reached capacity, filled with the names of those who have gone above and beyond. It has now been succeeded by the Geoff Seddon Memorial Tankard.
The inaugural award was presented by Geoff’s daughter, Felicity, to Diane, in recognition of her tireless efforts over recent months, having cancelled many of her Christmas plans to support Geoff’s funeral arrangements, and playing a key role in our latest recruitment process. It is a well-deserved recognition of Diane’s commitment to the team.
We also confirmed several leadership appointments:
Chris and Mike were re-elected as Operational Team Leader and Deputy Team leader, respectively; Richard was elected as Support Team Leader, taking over from Bryan as he begins training as an operational team member.
Assistant Team Leaders Paul, Tony, Ryan, and Andy were re-elected, and Alistair was newly elected to the role.
Finally, we recognised Paul and Andrew, who stood down as trustees at this year’s AGM. Both have contributed many years of dedicated service, playing an important role in supporting the team’s governance. Their time, effort and commitment behind the scenes have been greatly valued.
Thank you to everyone who continues to provide their time and effort to Bolton MRT.
We are delighted to say that we’ve just issued our latest newsletter.
Inside this edition, you’ll find:
🚑 a look back at our call-outs from 2025;
🚙 more information about our team vehicles, and the vital role they play in rescues;
🏃 ideas and tips on how you can support the team if you’re running a marathon, or taking on a challenge event.
📖 Read it here: mailchi.mp/9d1fdb386634/thanks-for-your-support-12751624
If you’d like to receive our e-newsletter in the future, you can sign up by completing this form www.boltonmrt.org.uk/register
Every year it costs around £60,000 to keep the team operational. If you would like to support the team, you can donate by clicking the Donate button on this post.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Bolton MRT.
A huge thank you to New Concept Security Ltd for their generous £250 donation to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Pictured are Tommy Baldwin and Dave Halliwell presenting the cheque on behalf of their company. Support like this makes a real difference, and helps us continue providing our search and rescue service to the local community.
Everyone at Bolton MRT would like to say a big thank you to New Concept Security Ltd for their support.
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team member Steve is taking on one of the toughest endurance events on the planet – the Marathon des Sables – alongside his partner Jamie.
The race covers 250km+ across the Sahara Desert over six days, with competitors carrying all their own food and equipment.
Steve and Jamie are taking on this incredible challenge to raise funds for three charities close to their hearts: Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, The Fire Fighters Charity, and CS22 Veteran Expeditions Charity.
We’d like to wish the pair the very best of luck.
If you’d like to support them and these fantastic charities, please consider donating using the QR code in the photo.
A huge thank you to the members of Red Rose Land Rover Club for their generous donation of £1800 to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Team members Bryan, Dave, and Wayne recently visited the club to collect the donation and to thank everyone in person for their support. Contributions like this make a real difference and help us continue providing a 24/7 voluntary search and rescue service, responding to people in need across the local area and beyond.
We’re extremely grateful to everyone at Red Rose Land Rover Club for their kindness and ongoing support of the team.
New Applicants’ Assessment Weekend – 28 February & 1 March
Over the weekend of 28th February and 1st March, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ran its 2026 new applicants’ assessment weekend, welcoming a strong group of candidates who all put in a huge amount of effort across two demanding days.
Saturday included a fitness test, followed by a navigation assessment on Winter Hill, testing both physical capability and hill skills. Applicants also attended interviews with our Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader, completed a navigation theory test, a blindfolded stretcher carrying exercise, had a tour of our Ladybridge HQ, and had a look at our kit so they could better understand essential mountain rescue equipment.
Sunday saw the applicants head to the Tockholes area for a full day of outdoor scenarios, where teamwork and problem-solving were key. The morning consisted of search exercises, and first aid scenarios designed to assess casualty care and communication under pressure. In the afternoon, applicants were split into two teams to take on simulated callouts, with each team required to locate, treat, and safely extricate two casualties.
Throughout the whole weekend, the new applicants were mentored and assessed by experienced team members, which added even more pressure to every scenario they faced.
We would like to thank everyone who applied, turned up, and gave their best throughout the weekend. The commitment, resilience, and teamwork on display were impressive.
We will not be opening up recruitment for our Operational Team again for the foreseeable future.
New Applicants’ Assessment Weekend – 28 February & 1 March
Over the weekend of 28th February and 1st March, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ran its 2026 new applicants’ assessment weekend, welcoming a strong group of candidates who all put in a huge amount of effort across two demanding days.
Saturday included a fitness test, followed by a navigation assessment on Winter Hill, testing both physical capability and hill skills. Applicants also attended interviews with our Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader, completed a navigation theory test, a blindfolded stretcher carrying exercise, had a tour of our Ladybridge HQ, and had a look at our kit so they could better understand essential mountain rescue equipment.
Sunday saw the applicants head to the Tockholes area for a full day of outdoor scenarios, where teamwork and problem-solving were key. The morning consisted of search exercises, and first aid scenarios designed to assess casualty care and communication under pressure. In the afternoon, applicants were split into two teams to take on simulated callouts, with each team required to locate, treat, and safely extricate two casualties.
Throughout the whole weekend, the new applicants were mentored and assessed by experienced team members, which added even more pressure to every scenario they faced.
We would like to thank everyone who applied, turned up, and gave their best throughout the weekend. The commitment, resilience, and teamwork on display were impressive.
We will not be opening up recruitment for our Operational Team again for the foreseeable future.