At 16:30 this afternoon our Team Leader was contacted directly by NWAS (Lancashire Area) regarding assistance with the report of a collapsed diabetic in the vicinity of the Pigeon Tower, Terraced Gardens, Rivington.
Given that the temperature was -2˚C and the ground was frozen with lots of ice patches, combined with a breeze blowing making the temperatures even colder, a full team urgent callout was initiated at 16:35.
This resulted in 23 team members responding to the Lower House Car Park rendezvous point to meet with a large Lancashire Constabulary divisional response and obtain a report from the Lanconstab Air Support Unit helicopter already overhead, trying to pinpoint the casualty location.
The Police helicopter located the diabetic along with his partner on the actual summit of Rivington Pike, not the Pigeon Tower area as initially reported, and by using the “Nitesun” search light the helicopter was able to guide in our team personnel to the location.
The man who was fully concious but with concerns for his diabetic condition was then assisted into one of our Landrover ambulances which thankfully, given the circumstances, was able to access the summit of Rivington Pike directly.
The casualty was then brought down to the base of the Pike along with his partner in our Landrover to meet up with an NWAS Paramedic who then went on board the same vehicle, for the casualty transfer back to the NWAS Ambulance RVP at Lower House car park.
Here the 33 year old male involved had sufficiently recovered to require no further treatment from the either ambulance service or ourselves.
BMRT vehicle and the NWAS (LA) ambulance at Lower House car park, Rivington, after transporting the casualty from Rivington Pike
The outcome of this incident could have been so very different given the freezing cold temperatures of the evening, but thanks to the excellent cooperation between the Lancashire Constabulary Police Officers, the NWAS emergency ambulance crew deployed to the incident and the very grateful and important assistance provided by the Police helicopter the incident was quickly and very satisfactorily resolved.
