2012 Incidents, Call Outs and Other Events

Numbered Incidents are reported to Mountain Rescue - England & Wales

'S' Numbers indicate a Standby  and 'D' indicates our SARDA Dog Unit only was used. 

10. 7^th May. Spot Pick Up. 12:07 Hrs. Gisburn Forest. The North West Ambulance Service requested the Team to assist yet another mountain biker in difficulty in Gisburn Forest. Our 4^th mountain biker so far this year in the Forest.  Cave Rescue Organisation again requested to assist. The informant had made his way out of the forest to summon help and initially the location of the incident within the woods was unknown.  Casualty reported with broken upper arm / dislocated shoulder. Once the casualty had been located he was splinted and then carried on a Bell Mountain Rescue stretcher some 500m by members of both Teams to the waiting  NW Air Ambulance, Helimed 72 for onward transport to hospital.    (34 Rescue Person Hours)

9. 6^th May. Spot Pick Up. 13:42 Hrs. Gisburn Forest. The North West Ambulance Service requested the Team to assist with a mountain biker who had fallen from his bike and sustained a punctured lung in Gisburn Forrest. Cave Rescue Organisation was requested to assist. Teams stood down with three vehicles mobile to the incident when it was determined that the casualty had walked to the waiting Air Ambulance and been evacuated.   (12 Rescue Person Hours)

8. 17^th April. Spot Pick Up. 15:51 Hrs. River Wyre, Garstang. The North West Ambulance Service requested the Team to assist with a male having fallen from a bridge, down a steep bank and into the River Wyre at Garstang. Reported as having sustained a serious head injury and still in the water.  We were soon informed that the NW Air Ambulance had been able to land on a golf course right next to the casualty with the casualty on the river bank. We stood down with a number of persons on scene, two Land Rover vehicles mobile and others attending direct to the incident. Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service also in attendance.     (12 Rescue Person Hours)

S3. 6^th April. Standby Search. 16:14 Hrs. Buckshaw Village, Chorley Area. Team requested to assist in the search for and elderly vulnerable male in the Buckshaw Village area of Chorley. However, as Incident Controllers were making their way to the local Police Station and a plan was being made to call out the full Team and other assets the missing person was located, safe and we stood down. (2 Rescue Person Hours)

7. 22^nd March. Spot Pick Up. 12:11 Hrs. Gisburn Forrest. The North West Ambulance Service requested the Team to assist with a mountain biker who had sustained a serious ankle injury in Gisburn Forrest. Cave Rescue Organisation requested to assist.   The casualty was carried a short distance to a waiting land ambulance and then driven to the NW Air Ambulance for onward evacuation to hospital.    (10 Rescue Person Hours)

6. 20^th March Search 11:45 Hrs Land Gate area of Ashton in Makerfield. Team requested to assist Bolton MRT with a search for a vulnerable male in the Ashton-in- Makerfield area of Wigan.  Team’s Trailing Dog, handler and 5 other Team members assisting.     (30 Rescue Persons Hours)

Bolton MRT incident 23/2012

5. 16^th March Search 13:00 Hrs Silverdale Area. Team requested by Lancashire Police to undertake a search for a missing 76-year-old male on the Cumbria boarder at Silverdale. Missing person’s car located at Silverdale and may have been there for a number of days. An Incident control was set up in Silverdale. A radio communications network was set up by placing a Team Landrover at the summit of Arnside Knott acting as a wireless repeater station.  The Team, assisted by a Police Support Unit, undertook a search of a large area of foreshore, farmland & woods south from Silverdale to Jenny Brown Point and north to Arnside including the lower slopes of Arnside Knott and Woodwell . The Teams trailing and area search dogs also used with an additional search dog from the Lake District also assisting. The Lancashire Police Helicopter also over flew the area.   The coastal area below the high tide line was searched by Bay SAR & Coastguard SAR.  29 Team members attending this incident.  At approximately 23:00 Hrs the search was suspended with Bay SAR and Coastguard SAR tasked with continuing the search at first light.  Unfortunately, the body of the missing person was recovered from the bay shortly after the search resumed.  The Teams thoughts are extended to the family of the missing person at this sad time.  (250+ Rescue Person Hours)

4. 28th February. Spot Pick Up. 14: 12 Hrs. Stronstrey Bank, Anglezarke.   The North West Ambulance service needed assistance with a female, aged 66, in the White Coppice area. On contacting NWAS Control the exact location of the incident was determined as Stronstrey Bank on the track just south of White Coppice. The  NW Air Ambulance was not available.  Reported with a lower leg injury or possible broken ankle. At 14:17 a full page was initiated with the first Team members arriving on scene at 14:36 hrs.  The RV location was changed to the head of Anglezarke Reservoir as the location of the casualty was actually to the south of Moor Road in the woods on the banks of the reservoir. The casualty was carried the short distance to the waiting land ambulance.   (11 Rescue Person Hours)

3. 11^th February. Spot Pick Up. 12:40 Hrs. Longridge Fell. The North West Ambulance Service had just received a call from a dog walker on Longridge Fell who he had come across a group of walkers. One of the group, a female, appeared to have an ankle/lower leg injury. At this time no exact location but it was agreed to get the Team mobile in the direction of Longridge Fell. The NW Air Ambulance was not requested due to the large amount of tree cover reported by the informant. The first Team members to arrive on scene met up with paramedics from a land ambulance and the informant. It was determined that the casualty was being assisted from the fell and was now on an easily driveable, but icy, track for the land ambulance.  Team members provided assistance to the ambulance crew and ensured that it was safely off the track and back on the tarmac. 20 Team members responding to this incident. (15 Rescue Person Hours)

S2. 9^th February. Standby Search. 20:01 Hrs. Mellor Area. Search dogs and handlers requested to assist Rossendale & Pendle MRT with a search for an 80-year-old male in the Mellor area. Stood down on arrival as the missing person had just been located, safe.

2.  9^th February Standby Bad Weather Cover 09:23 Hrs All Lancashire. Due to bad weather, freezing rain and very icy roads the NW Ambulance Service asked if we could assist. Air Ambulance grounded due to weather conditions. Two Landrover’s made available. Team stood down at 20:00 Hrs.  Team members were available throughout the rest of the evening and into the following day as low temperatures and snow expected through the night. Six incidents undertaken as follows:

i) Garstang, 11:24 Hrs, Male, 81. Dislocated shoulder having fallen on ice. Transferred by Team Landrover to Royal Preston Hospital.

ii) Over Kellert, 11:30 Hrs, Female, 74. Fallen and sustained a suspected fracture of lower left leg.  Pain relief gas administered and Vacuum Splint applied to leg.  Transported to Royal Lancaster  Infirmary in a Team Landrover.

iii) Ribbleton, Preston, 13:40 Hrs, Female, 69. Fractured neck of femur.  We don’t usually undertake “house calls” as our skills are obviously better suited to the outdoors but as a Team Landrover was the nearest available asset it was decided to attend. Pain relief gas administered and packaged in a vacuum mattress. Carried downstairs assisted by NWAS paramedics. Transported to the Royal Preston Hospital in a land ambulance.

iv) Garstang, 14:30 Hrs, Female, 88. “Fallen out of bed, get her back in!” Another house call. On arrival the lady had no apparent injuries but was obviously in a very confused state. It was decided to take her to hospital for a check-up.  A land ambulance was requested as a more appropriate vehicle to transport the lady to hospital in. 

v) Fulwood, Preston, Male . Fallen. Examined but no apparent injuries and advised to rest

vi) Ashton, Preston, Male. Fallen. Examined and referred to Primary Care.

S1. 5^th February Standby Search 17:14 Hrs Gisburn Forest. Team requested to undertake an urgent search for three 12-year-old mountain bikers in Gisburn Forest. Separated from their parents and giving cause for concern due to darkness falling and low temperatures. However, as initial plans were being set the good news was received that they had been located, safe.

A further request was received from NW Ambulance Service as to our availability due to weather warnings (14:12 Hrs  4^th  February). Again the bad weather did not materialise.

1. 4^th February Search 01:38 Hrs Darwen Area.   Team’s search dogs & handlers requested to assist Bolton MRT in a search for a missing vulnerable female.   (10 Rescue Person Hours)

Bolton MRT Incident 48/2012

A quiet start to the year with no incidents to report from January. Requests from the North West Ambulance Service were received as to our availability for bad weather cover on a number of occasions (20:46 Hrs 26^th January & 10:28 Hrs 27^th January). Our 4 x 4 Landrover’s were made available at 30 minute notice should they be required.  However, the anticipated bad weather did not materialise in the west of the county.