At 11:50 this morning, the team was paged by NWAS (Greater Manchester) Emergency Control Centre, who were requesting our assistance at an incident in the George’s Lane, Rivington area.

Already in attendance at the scene of the incident was an NWAS RRV Paramedic who had been called to the scene a short time earlier.

With several team members already working on maintenance tasks at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ, and two team members Ged Clarke and Mark Scott responding directly to our base at Bolton Central Fire Station, an immediate response was made with two team vehicles going mobile at 12:00.

The scene of the incident involving the Horse Rider.The team was requested to attend to a female who had fallen from her horse whilst riding with a friend on a moorland track below George’s Lane, which itself runs below the base of Rivington Pike.

The North West Air Ambulance Helimed 08 had also been called at the same time and had landed near to the scene shortly before our first team vehicle arrived at 12:12.

The casualty is loaded onto NWAA Helimed 08The female had suffered several injuries which were serious enough to warrant evacuation to Royal Blackburn Hospital by helicopter. After being treated for her injuries by a responding NWAS Paramedic and the crew of NWAA Helimed 08, Bolton MRT team members assisted the crew of the North West Air Ambulance in carrying the casualty approximately 100m to the helicopter, which promptly left the scene at 12:35 with the patient on board.

NWAA Helimed 08 departs the scene for Royal Blackburn HospitalThe team would like to thank the off-duty Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service USAR team member who was out riding his mountain bike and passed the accident shortly after it had happened. His local area knowledge and accurate description of the location to the 999 operators helped the Ambulance crews and BMRT vehicles to easily find the incident site.