MountainBiker

At 10:04 this morning the team was requested to assist at an incident on Holcombe Moor, involving a male mountain biker who was reported to be feeling unwell and who had also possibly collapsed.

Colleagues from Rossendale and Pendle MRT were mobilised at the same time. Initially the location of the incident was thought to be in RPMRT’s team area, so one vehicle from Bolton MRT was sent to support RPMRT, departing from our Base 18 minutes after the initial call.

After some difficulty in getting an exact location for the casualty, additional BMRT team members were mobilised to assist in searching the area.

After some searching by both teams the casualty was located (just over the boundary between our two team’s areas). BMRT and RPMRT members were in attendance at the same time, with vehicles from both teams traversing the moorland track near to Red Brook.

As it was suspected that the casualty might’ve been suffering from a cardiac event, the North West Air Ambulance was requested to attend – and after first making sure that the Holcome Army Training Camp danger area was free of gunfire, we liaised with NWAS EOC Broughton so that the aircraft would be permitted to attend.

As 12:20, the Air Ambulance departed with the casualty on board and both teams returned to their respective bases.

We were later pleased to hear that the casualty was making a recovery at hospital having undergone a procedure.

Our thanks are expressed to the staff at Holcombe Army Training Camp for the vital role they played during this incident.

At 14:41 this very sunny afternoon our colleagues at Rossendale & Pendle MRT were contacted by North West Ambulance service with the report of an injured mountain biker on the mountain bike trails at Lee Quarry, Bacup.

Our team was requested to assist in the event that a long carry was required, and two team vehicles were mobilised to assist with six team members total.

Fortunately the incident was not as complex as initially described and resources already on scene were able to manage the casualty; our responding team vehicles were stood down.

Team members Steve Nelson and Elaine Gilliland were walking in the Jumbles area where they were approached by a mountain biker reporting an incident.

A friend of the rider had fallen off his mountain bike sustaining injuries requiring a short stretcher carry to the nearest roadhead.

8 team members responded to this incident where they assisted the ambulance crew, loading the casualty on a stretcher and carrying to the ambulance.

At 9:24 this morning the team was contacted by the North West Ambulance Service with a casualty in the Rivington Moor area.

A 51 year old man had been riding his mountain bike with friends and had fallen off injuring his ankle.

Team member Mark Scott was the first to meet with the mans friends  on Belmont Road who guided Mark to the incident site. Mark was then able to guide the responding vehicles to the nearest access points, at Hordern Stoops and the Leadmines Valley.

The incident site was actually in our neighbouring team, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team area. Bowland Pennine were training at Denham Quarry, but as Bolton team members were already in the vicinity, we continued with the rescue.

The North West Air Ambulance was also called to this incident, landing shortly after Mark had arrived. The onboard paramedics administered pain relieving gas.

One of our LandRover ambulances who had accessed tracks via the Lead Mines Valley to Hempshaw Farm was the closest vehicle to the incident site, and was a short stretcher carry, so the decision was made to transfer by vehicle rather than using the air ambulance.

In total 24 members responded to this incident.

The team would like to wish the man a speedy recovery back to riding the West Pennine moors.