At 10:41 this morning, the team was contacted by NWAS (Lancashire) Emergency Operations Centre who were requesting our assistance at an incident in Darwen, Lancashire.

An unconcious male had been found in the Sunnyhurst Woods in Darwen, and combined with the weather conditions (very cold air & frosty ground) there was considerable concern for his welfare. The passing members of the public who found the man contacted the Ambulance service and in turn ourselves and the North West Air Ambulance were called. Lancashire Constabulary also attended, sending a Police Officer to the scene.

With the first team members arriving on scene at 11:10, followed by a responding Bolton MRT Land Rover Ambulance arriving on scene at 11:23, the uncouncious male was protected from the elements by one of our “casualty bags” and loaded onto one of our Mountain Rescue stretchers.

A relatively strenuous carry followed (through sometimes icy and sometimes very muddy fields) by the 11 Bolton MRT members present followed, travelleing up-hill to the waiting NWAS (Lancashire) Emergency Ambulance. Assistance was provided by the NWAS Emergency Ambulance crew and a member of crew from the North West Air Ambulance.

With still considerable concern for the unconcious male’s health, the NWAS Ambulance departed at 12:25 for Royal Blackburn Hospital, accompianied by a Doctor from the North West Air Ambulance.

Team members then returned to our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ to clean items of equipment which were used on this incident.

The team would like to make special mention of the two Greenskeepers from Darwen Golf Club and also the proprietor of the Carr Hall Boarding Kennels & Cattery, all of whom greatly assisted team members in locating the site of the incident, carrying essential equipment, and in the case of the Greenskeepers, also assisting with part of the stretcher evacuation.