Early this evening, at circa 18.54hrs, Team Call Out list members Steve Fletcher and Mike Marsh were at Bibby’s Farm Scout Campsite near Chorley (Helping with some climbing instruction – in their capacity as Scout Leaders) when the North West Air Ambulance ‘Helimed 08’ (Based at Blackpool Airport) flew overhead, and landed in fields less than a mile away.

As Steve and Mike were with a team vehicle at the time, (our ‘BM4’ Land Rover Ambulance) they contacted NWAS (Lancashire) EOC at Broughton, to possible lend their assistance if so required. They were informed that Bowland Pennine MRT had already been called to the incident, (The location being in their primary operational area) and were asked to jointly respond given their closeness to the incident. (they also liaised directly with Phil O’Brien MBE, the Team Leader of BPMRT regards this course of action.)

A mountain biker had come off his bike in a wooded area near to High Bullough Reservoir, on the fringes of Anglezarke Moor, and had sustained a serious ankle injury.

Meeting at 19.04hrs at the RVP at Manor House Farm, Moor Road, Anglezarke, Steve and Mike met up with the first responding Bowland Pennine MRT members. (Including locally resident Paul Durham)

The NWAA Helimed 08 crew requested that the joint MR teams carry the injured male rider from the location of the accident to the nearby aircraft. Whilst a stretcher was made available and brought to the accident site, the injured male’s suspected fractured ankle was splinted by the NWAA crew on scene. Upon the arrival of the initial party Bolton MRT and Bowland Pennine MRT stretcher party he was quickly loaded onto a Bolton MRT Bell Mountain Rescue stretcher.

Working together with a third arriving Bolton MRT team member, Gyles Denn (who was also nearby at the time setting up in advance tonight’s routine weekly Wednesday evening Exercise), several Bowland Pennine MRT members , and three NWAA personnel on scene, the casualty was carried about 250m to the waiting helicopter and was then airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital.

All personnel then returned to the RVP and repacked vehicles to return to their respective base locations!

We understand at least twenty nine BPMRT Team members were involved in responding to this incident, inclusive of those stood down responding, alongside the three Bolton MRT members involved.

An NWAS (Lancashire) Emergency Ambulance also called to this incident.

This incident yet again illustrates the excellent joint working between Bolton MRT and Bowland Pennine MRT, and both teams with NWAS (Lancashire) and the North West Air Ambulance service.