By 01:00 this morning all four Landrovers had returned to our LBH base with road conditions in the Bolton area still icy at all levels but with thawing conditions setting in (it was still artic on the local moorlands!). As we were locking up the base at 01:08, NWAS (GMA) Control requested our immediate attendance at an incident in The Valley entertainment area of Astley Bridge, Bolton, with the report of a woman having fallen down an embankment and into the local river.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service resources had already been contact over this incident and they had requested the ambulance service.

All four of our team vehicles with a total of 15 MRT members on board arrived at the incident location at 01:19 just as the NWAS ambulance arrived, followed by the GMFRS Pinzgauer L6P from Crompton Way Fire Station (a pump appliance from Bolton Central and another from Crompton Way fire stations were already on scene).

The scene of the incident outside the Cineworld complex at The Valley, Bolton – the river runs along the side of the cinema building.

We were stood down on scene when it was quickly established that the two responding pump crews from GMFRS had effected a quick rescue of the woman involved, following which she was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital.

The GMFRS Rescue Boat was stood down responding to this incident.