As many search areas were concluding at the search of Moses Gate Country Park for missing 50 year old Jerry Hennelly, NWAS Greater Manchester EOC Parkway paged the team at 19.49hrs, to attend an incident involving a youth, who had dislocated his knee and was some distance from the nearest track on farmland at Tyldesley, Manchester.

The call was answered by our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, to discover the location was mere minutes away from his house and next to a regular local walking route of his!

Two of our Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, with six team members were able to make an immediate departure from the Moses Gate Search RVP, departing at 19.55hrs.

Aided by our Team Leaders local knowledge, the two Vehicles arrived together at 20.13hrs at the RVP on a farm track off Common Lane / Cumbermere Lane, Tyldesley, arriving shortly after the arrival of the NWAS Rapid Response Vehicle and its Paramedic.

Meanwhile a third team Land Rover with an additional five team members had also now departed Moses Gate at 20.10hrs.

Our six first responding members and the NWAS Paramedic were met by one of the two teenage males who had been with the injured male 15 year old youth when he fell dislocating his knee.

One had stayed with the injured youth, whilst the other had descended the hill where the youth was to guide in the emergency responders.

The mother of one of the two boys with the injured youth, also met us here, and as our vehicles were blocking a farm access track, she kindly agreed to wait with the vehicle keys in case the farmer required any access to his fields.

Our six members, and the NWAS Paramedic gathered together all the necessary kit (well what was thought to be necessary) and guided by the friend of the injured youth, ascended the local wooded hill, and by 20.25hrs were with the casualty.

The youth had a very painful full dislocation of his left knee, and was being comforted by his mother who had arrived earlier, and his other friend who had remained with him, whilst the other went for help.

The casualty location was within the wooded area on top of the hill, overlooking Cleworth Hall Farm, Tyldesley.

As team members were preparing for a stretcher evacuation, and considering calling on NPAS for support (NWAA Helimed was unable to attend due to the onset of darkness) the Paramedic helped the youths pain with Entonox, at which point his knee ‘popped’ back in to place.

He was able to weight bear immediately and had no pain or discomfort, and shortly afterwards was able to walk with a little support back down the hill the RVP.

Our third vehicle had arrived at the RVP at 20.32hrs, and the five member son board deployed to meet the youth, his mother, and members of the initial rescue party.

At 20.50hrs the youth was being further assessed in an NWAS Emergency Ambulance that had responded, at which point the local farmer arrived offering his assistance.

The youth and his mother decided that a GP referral rather than a hospital admission was ok, and by 21.20hrs, all involved had left the RVP – with all our team members involved returning to the Moses Gate search incident.

The following resources were involved in this incident;

• NWAS Greater Manchester; EOC Parkway, Solo crewed (Paramedic) Rapid Response Vehicle based at Atherton Ambulance Station, Emergency Ambulance, Paramedic / EMT two women crew based at Irlam Ambulance Station.
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team; three Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, Call signs ‘Bolton Mobile 2, 3 and 4,’ and eleven team members.