At 17.28hrs early this evening we were paged by NWAS (Manchester) EOC Parkway for our assistance at an off road motorcycling accident in the Leigh area.
NWAS (Manchester) EOC had also mobilised the NWAS HART Team from Trafford Park to this same incident, and an NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance from Atherton Ambulance Station.

The call from NWAS was answered by our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon who paged out a full call out message to the team at 17.35hrs.

By 17.47hrs our BM1 and BM3 Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles had departed from our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ en route for the RVP in the vicinity of Plank Lane, Leigh.

Our first team member Michael O’Brien arrived on scene at 17.50hrs initially in the Plank Lane area, quickly determining that a revised RVP was off Edna Street, off Wigan Road, with the incident scene in the area of Fir Tree Flash.

By 18.05hrs Michael was at the actual casualty site along with the two responding NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance crew, who all commenced immediate casualty care.

The twenty one year old male motorcyclist from Fazarkerley, Merseyside, had suffered suspected cervical spine, spinal and pelvic injuries in a fall from his motorcycle.

Our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon also arrived at the RVP at 18.05hrs.
Between 18.14hrs and 18.17hrs our three responding Land Rover Ambulances all arrived.

NWAS HART also arrived on scene, and drove almost directly to the casualty site, using their off road specialist ‘Polaris’ all Terrain Vehicle, and their Land Rover Discovery Ambulance, joining one of our Land Rovers also at the casualty site (Our other two vehicles were held at the RVP)

Also now on scene was the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (The more local NWAA Helimed 08 and Helimed 72 were otherwise deployed)

The casualty was loaded onto the HART teams long board and then their specialist MIBS Stretcher, and was ‘loaded’ into the Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopter at circa 18.44hrs, which lifted off for the Royal Preston Hospital at 18.55hrs.

By 18.59hrs all our resources had departed this incident scene back for our garage bases and home locations.

The following resources were deployed to this incident;

• Bolton MRT; 3x Team Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles, 16x Team call Out list members on scene, one further team member stood down responding.
• NWAS (Manchester) EOC Parkway Control.
• NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Ambulance and two crew from Atherton Ambulance Station.
• NWAS HART Trafford Park; 1x Land Rover Discovery Ambulance, 1x Incident Support Vehicle (With on board ‘Polaris’ All Terrain Vehicle) 6x HART Team members.
• Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopter.

Mention must be made of local residents Andrew Burgess and Mark Parkinson, who using their local knowledge of the area, guided rescuers to the incident scene.

The companion of the injured biker also guided rescuers to the site.

Andrew Burgess was subsequently quoted within the Leigh Reporters website as saying;

“I was extremely impressed by the co-ordinated rescue attempt and how quickly the crews were able to work and assist the injured biker.”

“I was surprised how quickly the mountain rescue teams got to the scene after being told about the incident through their pagers, especially after I heard they were all volunteers.”

“It was good to see how well everyone worked together to get him to hospital.”