This afternoon, our Secretary received a kind email from the 45 years old male mountain biker casualty, involved in Incident 60 of Saturday 18th July 2015, within Phillips Park, Prestwich, Manchester.
This same evening, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE spoke to the man involved, wishing him a continuing recovery back to full health, thanking him for his email, and for his permission to publish it within our website;
“Subject: My Rescue on the 18th July from Phillips Park
Dear Bolton Mountain Rescue,
Could you please pass on my deepest thanks and gratitude to the whole team involved in my rescue from Phillips Park on the 18th July.
I really don’t know what I would have done without your support and care on that fateful Saturday evening.
The extent of my injuries were not known by your team at the time, but they made great efforts to fashion a seat so that I could be stretchered out in an upright position with as much comfort as possible.
At the time attempting to bend or lay flat was excruciating for me.
I later found out the reason – I had broken seven ribs and my collar bone, and as the rib cage had caved in it had both collapsed and punctured my left lung.
The team managed to carry me backwards up a really challenging route without tipping me in any direction, which minimised my discomfort and prevented further injuries.
For that I am most thankful and applaud your standards, ethics and the Stirling work that you do.
On that Saturday you really made a difference, so please pass on my sincerest thanks to everyone involved.
I’m slowly making a recovery.
I require an operation which has been delayed due to complications from my punctured lung, but I’ll get there eventually.
Once again thank you all so much and keep up the good work.
Warmest Regards.”
During our Team Leaders conversation with this man this evening, he also enquired if Garry could put him in touch with the mountain biker who was nearby at the time of his accident and went on to contact and guide in the emergency services.
“I would like to get in touch with the gentleman who found me and called the emergency services.
I’d like to pass on my thanks and to ask him for any details on how he found me as I have no recollection of the actual fall itself.”
Our Team Leader quickly put the man in touch with the passing mountain biker, so he could express his thanks personally.
During this rescue, Bolton MRT worked alongside the responding NWAS resources and a GMFRS CRIT team, to aid the injured mountain biker, who lives in Eccles, Manchester.
Please also see website Incident report 60, dated Saturday 18th July 2015.
