At 15.21hrs this warm and sunny afternoon we were paged by NWAS (Manchester) Belle Vue Control, to assist with an incident at one of the Wilton Quarries following the report of an accident to a climber.

Greater Manchester Police had received a 999 call from the group involved, and had passed the call onto NWAS (Manchester), who in turn had also mobilised the North West Air Ambulance, Helimed 08 from Blackpool Airport, alongside ourselves.

As some team members were still at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ from an earlier event (See earlier ’news’ report on today) our BM1 and BM3 Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles were able to make an immediate response. (Alongside our Team Leader who was in a meeting in Bolton Town centre)

Our BM1 vehicle arrived on scene, which turned out to be Wilton Number 2 Quarry at 15.35hrs, followed a minute later by our BM3 vehicle and our Team Leader at 15.40hrs.

An NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance crew from Bolton North Ambulance Station were already on scene (Having arrived at circa 15.12hrs) and were already dealing with the casualties injuries.

The casualty, aged 22, a serving soldier, was with a group of thirteen other soldiers and two Instructors, all from the British Army, on an Adventure Activity week, from Halton Army Camp near Lancaster.

He had suffered a very painful pelvis / top of femur injury, as a result of an abseiling accident, and had been initially treated and comforted by members of his own party.

As our Team Leader arrived on scene, Helimed 08 landed actually in the quarry. (Which resulted in a quick evacuation and transport to hospital for the casualty)

At 15.53hrs our last attending vehicle, BM3 arrived on scene.

The injured soldier received Entonox pain killing gas and drugs on scene, and was then placed on the Air Ambulance stretcher board, and carried the short distance to the very nearby helicopter.

With the adjacent Scout Road temporarily blocked for safety reasons by GMP and a team vehicle, at 16.07hrs Helimed 08 lifted off for the short and quick flight to Royal Blackburn Hospital.

By 16.30hrs all the attending Emergency Services had departed the incident scene.

The following resources were involved and deployed to this incident;

• NWAS (Manchester) Belle Vue Control.
• NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance, Bolton North Ambulance Station, crew Paramedic / Technician.
• North West Air Ambulance helicopter, Helimed 08, from Blackpool Airport.
• Greater Manchester Police, Divisional Van, one Officer.
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, Three Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances, 17x Team members on scene and a further 3x Team members stood down responding.