While departing from the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue wildfire meeting our Team Leader received an alert message from the North West Ambulance Service requesting MRT assistance for a mountain biker who had injured himself in Lee Quarry near Bacup.

As the vehicle was so close our Team Leader liaised with the leader from Rossendale & Pendle MRT, whose operational area Lee Quarry falls,  and we were requested to attend as we were the nearest vehicle.  The incident was in Rossendale and Pendle MRT’s area however the two teams are have been working very closely together over the last 14 months providing mutual support to each other which ultimately has led to better care of the casualty as many hands make light work.

The male casualty had a shoulder and back injury and despite significant pain relief from the advanced paramedic on scene was still unable to lie flat due to the pain therefore he would not be able to be transferred in the back of our LandRover ambulance therefore the decision was made to collect Rossendale control vehicle which is 4 wheel drive and drive that as far as possible up the quarry track.

The casualty was then put onto a Bell Mountain Rescue stretcher in a sitting position and carried to the vehicle which had now been configured to carry the stretcher and being a van was big enough for the casualty to remain sitting. He was driven to the land ambulance and once re assessment had been done the decision was made to leave him in the control vehicle and transport him direct to hospital.

This was an excellent example of joined up working between both Rossendale and Bolton teams alongside the North West Ambulance Service.

Many thanks also to the friends and family of the casualty for their assistance on the evening. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.