1997 Incidents, Call Outs and Other Events

33. 26^th December Body Recovery 15.31 hrs Eccleston near Chorley. Team called to assist Lancashire Ambulance Service in recovering a body from countryside. Also, to tow the ambulance out after it became bogged down in the field!

32. 14^th December Advice 14.15 hrs Pendle Hill. The Team was paged by Lancashire Ambulance Service to attend an incident involving a hang glider pilot crashed on Pendle Hill. Again as this is not the Teams normal area of operation the call was passed to our neighbouring Team, Rossendale SRT, immediately.

31. 11^th December Advice 20.35 hrs Great Harwood. Lancashire Police paged the Team Leader after motorists had reported seeing red parachute flares in the hills around Great Harwood. Advice was given to the police on the use of flares. As this is not the Teams normal area of operation the call was passed to our neighbouring Team, Rossendale SRT.

30. 17^th November Search 18.00 hrs Darwen. Continuation of Incident 27. The Team was again called to assist Bolton MRT in the search for the missing female. This time there had been a positive sighting of the lady on the hills / moors above Darwen. After another long search into the night nothing was found and the Team was stood down at midnight. Lancashire Police Air Support Unit in attendance as well.

29. 17^th November Forensic Evidence Search 07.00 hrs Penwortham. Continuation of Incident 28. Lancashire Police again requested the Team’s assistance to search countryside area around Penwortham for evidence following a serious robbery. The Team Leader once again declined request as this forensic search was not life threatening. The Team did offer assistance for the evening of the 19th November replacing one of our training sessions. However, the search had been completed by then.

28. 16^th November Forensic Evidence Search 09.45 hrs Penwortham Team called to assist Lancashire Police in searching country paths near Penwortham for evidence following a serious robbery. Declined due to already operational on incident 27.

27. 16^th November Search 08.00 hrs Darwen. Team called to assist Bolton MRT in search for missing female around the Darwen area. After an extensive search nothing was found and the Team was stood down at 16.00 hours. Other Teams involved: - Rossendale SRT and Lancashire Police Helicopter.

26. 12^th November Search 06.00 hrs Gisburn, East Lancashire. Continuation of incident 25.The man had been missing for several days and the Team started the search at first light. Early in the afternoon the body of a man fitting the description was found, it appeared that the man had taken his own life. The coroner was informed and the area was cordoned off awaiting the police ‘scenes of crimes officers’. The Team was stood down at 14.30hrs.

25. 11^th November Request for Assistance 21.45 hrs Gisburn, East Lancashire. Team Leader was contacted by Rossendale SRT to assist in search for a missing male aged 32 in the east of the county, near to Gisburn. Team required at first light next day. Rest of Team paged and preparations made for a long day out.  

24. 4^th  October Search 15.15 hrs Caton, North Lancashire. Team called to search for missing female aged about 35 and in a depressed state, possibly suicidal. The lady was last seen in the Caton area and her car was parked near the footpath towards Caton Fell. Once the Team had assembled to begin the search, the search dogs started barking at her parked car, this must have frightened the missing lady as thumping noises started coming from the boot of the car. It was quickly established that this was probably the missing lady, and once the car boot was opened it was confirmed. The lady was in a very distressed state and was taken to the Lancaster Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

23. 28^th September Safety Cover Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross, Yorkshire Dales. The Team once again provided fell safety cover for this annual race; the toughest race of it’s kind in Britain if not the world. No major incidents reported, but plenty of cuts and bruises as usual.

22. 5^th September Search 08.15 hrs Bolton. Team called to assist Bolton MRT in search for missing male aged 70 who was diabetic. The man had been missing all night and was described as vulnerable. After an extensive search the man was found in a confused state and suffering from mild hypothermia. He was stretchered to a waiting ambulance. The Team was stood down at 13.30hrs. Other Teams involved: Bolton MRT, Rossendale S.R.T. and Greater Manchester Police.

21. 24^th August First Aid Cover Nether Kellet, North Lancashire. Team provided a second day of safety cover for a Landrover 4x4 competition. No major incidents to report.

20. 23^rd August First Aid Cover Nether Kellet, North Lancashire. Team provided safety cover for a Landrover 4x4 competition. No major incidents to report.

19. 12^th  August Aircraft Recovery 08.30 hrs Nether Kellet, North Lancashire. Team called to assist the Lancashire Police with a helicopter crash in countryside near the village of Nether Kellet, North Lancashire. Two people had died in the crash and the debris was strewn about the fields and hillside. The Team was requested to help in the search for missing debris and personal belongings by the accident investigation Team from Farnborough. The Team was stood down at 16.45 hrs

18. 8^th August First Aid Cover Beacon Fell Country Park, Forest of Bowland. The Team provided safety cover for the second day of the Beacon Fell Open Day. No major incidents to report.

17. 7^th August First Aid Cover Beacon Fell Country Park, Forest of Bowland. The Team provided safety cover for the first day of the Beacon Fell Open Day. No major incidents to report.

16. 7^th August Safety Cover 09.00 hrs Borrowdale Fell Race, Cumbria. The Team again provided fell safety cover for the Borrowdale Fell Race. No major injuries, but plenty of cuts and bruises to deal with.

15. 26^th July Search 11.55 hrs Coppull near Chorley. The Team was called to search for a missing youth from Coppull, believed to have been last seen walking on West Pennine Moors near Anglezarke. The Team was mobilised (two vehicles and members attending fund raising event in St. Annes dispatched immediately) but fortunately the youth turned up safe and the Team was stood down at 12.35 hrs.

14. 18^th July Search 07.00 hrs Bowland Fells West of Trough Road, Forest of Bowland. Continuation of incident 9. The Team was requested to search for a missing male aged 50. This person as described in the 6th July callout (incident 9). The man had been reported to have enjoyed walking in the Forest of Bowland, and therefore Lancashire Police requested a major search of the area. After an extensive all day search covering the paths on and around the Bowland Fells nothing was found and the Team was stood down at 18.00hrs.

Post note: a body was discovered at the side of a field by a farmer on the 20th July near Bilsborrow, just outside our original search area. This was thought to be that of the missing person.

13. 12^th July Safety Cover Forest of Bowland. The Team provided a second day of safety cover for the UK Charity Challenge competition in the Forest of Bowland. Two Landrovers deployed no incidents to report.

12. 11th July Safety Cover Forest of Bowland. The Team provided safety cover for the UK Charity Challenge competition in the Forest of Bowland. Two Landrovers deployed no incidents to report.

11. 10^th July Search 16.00 hrs Latham near Ormskirk, West Lancashire. The Team was requested to search for missing 3-year-old boy in the Latham area near Ormskirk. The child was last seen at 14.40 hrs playing with family pets, and was reported missing at 15.15 hrs. The Team was requested to urgently search the surrounding farmland and wooded areas. The child was located safe and sound at 17.40 hrs and the Team was stood down at 17.45hrs. Other Teams involved SARDA, Lancashire Police Helicopter and Bolton MRT.

10. 6^th July Spot Pick Up 17.05 hrs Malham, Yorkshire Dales. Whilst walking in the Yorkshire Dales a Team member assisted with a collapsed female walker on the Malham Cove footpath. The casualty was stabilised and stretchered off by Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO), assisted by our Team member to a waiting West Yorkshire Ambulance Service vehicle.

9. 6^th July Search 11.30 hrs Broughton near Preston.  The Team was called to search for a missing male aged 50 in the open countryside north of Broughton and believed to be in a disturbed state of mind. After an extensive search of the surrounding area nothing was found and the Team was stood down at 16.30 hrs. (See also incident 14 above)

8. 2^nd July Advice 19.20 hrs Wilton. Team called to assist injured climber with a suspected fractured ankle in Wilton Quarry. As Wilton Quarry is just out side our normal area of operation, we passed all the information regarding the injured climber to our neighbouring Team, Bolton MRT.

7. 1^st May Crag Rescue 21.15 hrs Anglezarke Quarry, West Pennine Moors. Team called out to a crag fast climber in Anglezarke Quarry. The climber had become stuck on a ledge on the main wall of the quarry. The Team set up a belay system lowering two Team members who ‘snatched’ the stranded climber and lowered him to the ground. The only injury to the climber was his pride. The Team was stood down at 22.30hrs. Other Teams assisted: Bolton MRT.

6. 27^th April RTA 16.20 hrs Ribble Head area, Yorkshire Dales. On route home from the Three Peaks Fell Race, the Team was called to assist in a road traffic accident. A motorcycle had crashed after hitting a sheep on the road, causing injuries to the driver and pillion rider. The pillion rider had injuries which indicating a fractured ankle, tibia and fibia of the right leg, dislocation of the left knee, and a broken right arm with possible fracture of the collarbone. The driver had suffered minor injuries. The Team phoned for an ambulance, treated the casualties and made them as comfortable as possible prior to transportation to hospital by the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service. The sheep died.

5. 27^th April Spot Pick Up / Safety Cover 14.15hrs Three Peaks Fell Race, Yorkshire Dales. Whilst providing safety cover for the Three Peaks Fell Race the Team was called to assist an injured runner with a suspected broken ankle. One of the Team’s medics was transported to the casualty site by helicopter and treated the injured runner, who was then airlifted back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

4. 30^th March Search 09.00 hrs Lancaster Whilst deployed on the incident 3, the Team was informed by Lancashire Police that another person had been reported missing, a male aged 32 this time. This person was reported missing from the same area, and therefore the Team's resources were involved in a duplicate search of the same area. At 11.30hrs we were informed that the missing man had been located in Penrith, Cumbria.

3. 30^th March Search 06.15 hrs Lancaster. The Team was called to Lancaster to search for a missing male aged 72. The man had been missing overnight and was described as vulnerable (Alzheimer's). The Lancashire Police helicopter had been called in during the night but failed to locate the missing man. After an extensive search Team members located the man. He had fallen from a path down a steep embankment (25ft) and sustained head injuries, possible spinal injury and was suffering from  hypothermia. The man was treated at the scene, evacuated to the road and transported by Team vehicle to Lancaster Royal Infirmary. The Team was stood down at 14.00 hrs

2. 22^nd March Safety Cover 08.00 hrs Forest of Bowland. The Team provided safety cover for the Fiendsdale Fell Race. No incidents to report.

1. 4^th February Search 08.15 hrs Bolton Team called to assist Bolton MRT search for missing male aged 32. His rucksack and certain belongings had been discovered, but after an extensive search he was not found and the Team was stood down at 17.00 hrs.