At 13.34hrs this afternoon, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by Andy Simpson, the Deputy Team Leader of Rossendale and Pendle MRT, with information of a call out the RPMRT were responding to in the Tottington area, having been contacted at circa 13.30hrs by NWAS (Manchester) Emergency Operations Centre for assistance.

The incident was actually in the Bolton MRTs primary operational response area, and realising this Andy Simpson of RPMRT had contacted our Team Leader.

Garry decided to page out a ‘limited team member call out,’ aimed at those members living or working close to the incident scene, who were asked to respond in their own vehicle’s to assist the RPMRT response.

A full team pager message stating such was sent at 13.41hrs.

Apparently a member of the public walking on the Kirklees Trail adjacent to Tottington, had come across a 68 years old gentleman with shortness of breath, and concerned for his well being had dialled 999 for the Ambulance Service.

A solo crewed NWAS (Manchester) Rapid Response Vehicle had responded, and then called for MRT assistance to help evacuate the gentleman across fields back to the road head.

Our first team member, Steve Nelson, who lives very close to the incident scene, arrived on scene at 13.47hrs, joining responding RPMRT members.

Two other Bolton MRT members also arrived on scene quickly, Neil Warburton and John Dickinson, to assist RPMRT members with the stretcher evacuation of the ill man.

The man had been treated with appropriate drugs by the NWAS Paramedic to assist his breathing.

By circa 14.10hrs, the man was in the specialist Mountain Rescue Land Rover Discovery Ambulance of RPMRT which then took him for further treatment to Fairfield / Bury Hospital.

This incident was an excellent example of inter team joint operational working assisting NWAS (Manchester) just one of many times this year we have jointly worked on call outs with our close colleagues at Rossendale and Pendle MRT.

The following resources were deployed to this incident;

• Bolton MRT; 3x members on scene, 4x members stood down responding (Two of whom were virtually at the RVP at stand down) Our Team Leader co-ordinated our response from home and liaised with NWAS, GMP and RPMRT (Andy Simpson)
• Rossendale and Pendle MRT; 6x members on scene, one Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle, one Land Rover Discovery Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle.

NWAS (Manchester) Rapid Response vehicle from Bury Ambulance Station.

And as a footnote ………. Bolton MRT team member Steve Nelson went straight back home to his two children to continue with his (Call Out interrupted!) Day 2 building of a ‘LEGO’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ Castle!