This evening our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by NWAS Parkway EOC, requesting the team’s assistance with an injured mountain biker on one of the mountain bike trails in Phillips Park, Prestwich.

A 45 years old male mountain biker, whilst cycling on his own had suffered a serious accident, and was luckily assisted by another solo mountain biker, who in turn had stopped to help two nearby young male mountain bikers, one of whom had a leg cut which was first aided and dressed by this kindly mountain biker.

The mountain biker quickly contacted 999, and NWAS despatched a Rapid Response vehicle with a solo Paramedic crew member, who was soon assisted by a GMFRS CRIT team of two members.

One of the two young boys who the mountain biker informant had helped assisted the informant in meeting the responding Paramedic and guiding him to the incident location, where casualty care was commenced.

It became apparent that the services of the Bolton MRT would be required, and after answering the call from NWAS EOC our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE instigated a full team pager call out at 18.25 / 26hrs.

Team member Phil Crook arrived at the Phillips Park car park / play area RVP at 18.40hrs joined by our Team Leader at 18.45hrs.

Here the mountain biker informant met Phil and Garry and kindly guided them in turn to the incident location, within the dense woodlands and pathways of Phillips Park, Prestwich.

Garry and Phil made contact with the NWAS Paramedic and the two CRIT members at 18.52hrs, with the injured man (from Eccles) attempting to slowly walk out, with a quick decision made to await the arrival of our vehicles and to continue the mans evacuation on a mountain rescue stretcher.

With the arrival of two of our Land Rovers at 19.00hrs, kit was quickly despatched to the incident location, again with much help from the informant in guiding team members to the location.

By 19.20hrs the casualty was on our stretcher, secured in a sitting position, due to his injuries (upper arm / shoulder and possible internal rib injuries were diagnosed) via the use of one of our full length vacuum mattresses being used to form a ‘support chair.’

He was evacuated out of the woods by a combined team of Bolton MRT and the two CRIT members, at which point the concerned wife of the injured man turned up, to be comforted by team members.

By 19.40hrs the injured man was in the responding NWAS Emergency Ambulance, for further assessment and onward transport to North Manchester / Crumpsall hospital for treatment.

By 20.04hrs our last assets had left the RVP, with team member John Dickinson journeying to hospital to retrieve some team kit items which were used to treat the man.

The following resources were involved in this rescue:

• NWAS (Greater Manchester Area)
  • EOC Parkway
  • One Rapid Response Vehicle, solo crewed (Paramedic), Bury Ambulance Station
  • One Emergency Ambulance, two crew members.
• GMFRS CRIT – one team of two members from the CRIT team – Critical Risk Intervention Team, and their vehicle, from GMFRS Agecroft Community Fire Station.
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team ; Two Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, call signs ‘Bolton Mobiles 2 and 3,’ thirteen team members involved in the rescue with one further team member arriving at stand down.

POSTSCRIPT Our Team Leader was contacted by the man’s wife on Sunday evening, 19th July, to inform us of his injuries, which consisted of rib fractures, a fractured collar bone and an internal injury, with the man now being in Manchester Royal Hospital.

The man’s wife very kindly passed on thanks for all the help we gave.

All the team members involved pass on their best wishes for a speedy recovery back to full health and mountain biking once again.