Tottington

At circa 17.03hrs this evening, our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon was contacted directly by NWAS EOC Parkway, requesting the teams assistance at an incident in Tottington, Bury.

A 52 years old locally resident woman had suffered a suspected lower leg fracture whilst out walking her dog on the Recreation Ground off Laurel Street, Tottington.

The woman initially contacted her daughter, who came to her aid and contacted the Ambulance Service.

Upon the arrival of the Emergency Ambulance, the crew realised a stretcher carry would be required, and requested mountain rescue assistance.

A full team pager call out was made at 17.09hrs, with the first of three Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles which responded, going mobile at 17.23hrs.

Team member Diane Blakeley was first at the roadside RVP off Laurel Street, at 17.26hrs, shortly followed by team member Tony Dawson and then team members Elaine Gilliland and Steve Nelson arriving at 17.28hrs, who both went to the Casualty Site, laying a chemical light stick trail (to guide in their colleagues) and liaising with the NWAS crew on scene regarding the mountain rescue equipment required.

Our first Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance arrived at 17.30hrs and by 17.44hrs the woman was on our specialist stretcher, having been cared for and treated by the responding NWAS crew.

Shortly after 18.00hrs the woman involved was on the way to hospital, having first asked our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and Diane Blakeley from the back of the Ambulance if her thanks could be passed on to all involved, that she “was amazed we were all volunteers,” and that she would make a donation as soon as possible to the team.

The following resources were involved in this incident;

• NWAS (Manchester Area) Emergency Ambulance and two crew members (Middleton Ambulance Station)
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team; Three Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles, call signs Bolton Mobile 1, 3 and 4. Twenty two team Call Out list members present on scene, with a further four team members stood down responding.
• Bury MBC; One employee in a response vehicle, who kindly assisted.

At 13.34hrs this afternoon, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by Andy Simpson, the Deputy Team Leader of Rossendale and Pendle MRT, with information of a call out the RPMRT were responding to in the Tottington area, having been contacted at circa 13.30hrs by NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Operations Centre for assistance.

The incident was actually in the Bolton MRTs primary operational response area, and realising this Andy Simpson of RPMRT had contacted our Team Leader.

Garry decided to page out a ‘limited team member call out,’ aimed at those members living or working close to the incident scene, who were asked to respond in their own vehicle’s to assist the RPMRT response.

A full team pager message stating such was sent at 13.41hrs.

Apparently a member of the public walking on the Kirklees Trail adjacent to Tottington, had come across a 68 years old gentleman with shortness of breath, and concerned for his well being had dialled 999 for the Ambulance Service.

A solo crewed NWAS (Manchester) Rapid Response Vehicle had responded, and then called for MRT assistance to help evacuate the gentleman across fields back to the road head.

Our first team member, Steve Nelson, who lives very close to the incident scene, arrived on scene at 13.47hrs, joining responding RPMRT members.

Two other Bolton MRT members also arrived on scene quickly, Neil Warburton and John Dickinson, to assist RPMRT members with the stretcher evacuation of the ill man.

The man had been treated with appropriate drugs by the NWAS Paramedic to assist his breathing.

By circa 14.10hrs, the man was in the specialist Mountain Rescue Land Rover Discovery Ambulance of RPMRT which then took him for further treatment to Fairfield / Bury Hospital.

This incident was an excellent example of inter team joint operational working assisting NWAS (Manchester) just one of many times this year we have jointly worked on call outs with our close colleagues at Rossendale and Pendle MRT.

The following resources were deployed to this incident;

• Bolton MRT; 3x members on scene, 4x members stood down responding (Two of whom were virtually at the RVP at stand down) Our Team Leader co-ordinated our response from home and liaised with NWAS, GMP and RPMRT (Andy Simpson)
• Rossendale and Pendle MRT; 6x members on scene, one Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle, one Land Rover Discovery Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle.

NWAS (Manchester) Rapid Response vehicle from Bury Ambulance Station.

And as a footnote ………. Bolton MRT team member Steve Nelson went straight back home to his two children to continue with his (Call Out interrupted!) Day 2 building of a ‘LEGO’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ Castle!