At 14.15hrs this fine but cold afternoon, we were paged by NWAS (Lancashire) to assist at an incident at Rivington, to which NWAA Helimed 75 was already mobilising to, and which from initial reports indicated that the male casualty involved was unconscious.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE liaised with NWAS Control and it was established that the incident was in the vicinity of the Pigeon Tower, on the edge of the Terraced Gardens at Rivington, high up on the fringe of Rivington Moor.

It was subsequently established that a 57 years old man in the company of his wife, from the Chorley area, had felt unwell and unable to carry on, but having no phone with them, they had to wait for passers by to make an emergency call on their behalf.

A full team call out was paged at 14.24hrs, with our first team Land Rover mobilising to this incident from our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ at 14.27hrs.

At circa 14.21hrs, NWAA Helimed 75 (The red one!) landed close by the Pigeon Tower on Georges Lane, and quickly located the casualty site, on the grassy hillside slope alongside the Pigeon Tower.

Team members Naomi Horan and Matthew Hailwood were then the first MRT on scene at 14.33hrs, closely followed by our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon at 14.38hrs and our first responding Land Rover, BM3 at 14.39hrs.

The male casualty was placed onto one of our SAR Alpine Lite MR Stretchers and carried a short distance up the hillside to the waiting helicopter.

All of this was taking place with a great many onlookers, out enjoying this fine day, present nearby, and as a result the team was asked to provide a ‘safety cordon’ around Helimed to enable its take off.

At 15.07hrs Helimed 75 departed for Royal Blackburn Hospital, with Matthew Hailwood and Naomi Horan taking the wife of the casualty, in their vehicle down to her vehicle parked at Lower House Car Park.

This incident was the first time we have worked with the ‘red’ helicopter, Helimed 75, of NWAA, their other two helicopters being the ‘yellow’ ones.

The following resources were involved in this incident;

• NWAS (Lancashire) Broughton EOC, Airdesk despatcher.
• NWAA Helimed 75 Air Ambulance Helicopter, from City Airport Manchester (Barton)
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team; 15x Team Call Out list members on scene, and a further three stood down responding. Three Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles, BM1,2 and 3.

Via Twitter. we subsequently received the following message from the casualty involved;

“@BoltonMRT @NWAirAmbulance.Many thanks to all who helped me get off the hill and to hospital. Am afraid I was not in a state to get all your names. But do greatly appreciate the great service you provide. Am home now and very grateful to be here. Thanks. Jerry Tolley.”