At 15.50hrs today on this fine sunny but cold winters day, we were paged by NWAS (Lancashire) EOC Airdesk, regards the teams assistance with an incident in Lever Park, Rivington.

A woman (From the Hindley area) had dislocated her knee, whilst walking on the track network leading from Knowle House Car Park, on Rivington Lane, Lever Park to the ruined replica of Liverpool Castle, also within Lever Park, Rivington.
Her male companion had initially comforted her being joined by a passing off duty Police Officer who also assisted her.

The arriving NWAS Emergency Ambulance had turned off the busy road of Rivington Lane through the middle of Lever Park, to find its way on to the track network of Lever Park barred by a locked barrier.

Knowing the team to carry access gate keys (On all our vehicles and with a great many team members) NWAS EOC requested we open the barrier.

Our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon, who lives close by at the entrance to Lever Park, and had answered the pager call, was fortunately at home, and quickly met up with the attending Ambulance by 15.58hrs, to find that the local United Utilities Ranger had unlocked the barrier.

With the Ranger staying by the barrier, Geoff Seddon and team member Michael Eddleston who had also responded, joined the Ambulance which then accessed the track network driving up to the casualty site.

At 16.00hrs the team was paged to state that no further personnel were required, with at this stage, team members Steve Fletcher, Paul Copley and Chris Greenhalgh all at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ ready to respond if required in one of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances.

The injured woman was given Entonox gas to relieve her pain, by the NWAS crew, who were joined by Geoff, Michael and the off duty Police Officer, in together placing her first on to a specialist scoop stretcher and then lifting her on to the Ambulance trolley.

At circa 16.40hrs the NWAS Ambulance departed, taking the injured woman to Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment.

This is our sixth recorded incident of November so far, and the seventeenth call out of the year specifically assisting NWAS (Lancashire Area) – We have also been called out thirty nine times so far this year by NWAS (Greater Manchester Area)