Further to our report of yesterday, the teams routine weekly exercise held last night on the high moorland of Spitlers Edge and Redmonds Edge was a great success.
Taking the scenario of a missing hill walker (huge thanks to Kevin Smith of Darwen Dashers Running Club for playing the part) Bolton MRT search parties were deployed from Hordern Stoops, and along the A675 Belmont to Abbey Village Road, to search along the walkers ‘intended’ route.
Our trainee Search Dog Bella with her trainee handler Paul Chisholm, also took part.
Our Mountain Rescue Trailing Dog Boris, along with his handler Bolton MRT member Steve Nelson (Also of SARDA Wales) and navigator Elaine Gilliland, successfully ‘trailed’ the missing hill walker from his route starting on the outskirts of Abbey Village, in to Roddlesworth Plantations and then on to the A675 (The exact route our exercise casualty Kevin had walked along)
1 hour 10 minutes after the first deployment of our search parties, Kevin was located with a ‘leg injury,’ by a search party consisting of team members David Crawford, Doctor Mark Jeffrey (Guess who did the casualty assessment and care?) and Alan James, with Kevin being deemed to require a stretcher evacuation.
As we mentioned in our report of yesterday, we took the opportunity to fire off during this exercise our older stock of red mini distress flares.
By 22.30hrs the exercise was complete, with all back at the Crookfield Road car park RVP, and despite the light rain and cold, and very wet conditions underfoot all were still smiling.
Thirty four Bolton MRT team members took part in this exercise, one Trainee Air Scenting Search Dog and one Trailing Search Dog.
All six of our Team vehicles deployed to the exercise.
In addition two observers from Cheshire Search and Rescue Team were present, Chairman Robbie Davies and Search Manager Steve Hill.
Many thanks to Bolton MRT team member Paul Brain for getting his work colleague Kevin Smith to ‘volunteer’ for this exercise, and staying with him on the cold wet and dark moor until ‘they’ were found.
