A 16-strong squad from Oldham Mountain Rescue Team (OMRT) were instrumental in the three-hour rescue of an injured walker at Ravestones in Greenfield.
The team was called by North West Ambulance Service to assist a walker who had dislocated their knee.
OMRT vehicles were dispatched to the roadhead below Ravenstones, near Dovestones, and team members made their way up the steep climb to the top carrying all the necessary equipment.
After an assessment of the casualty by one of their remote rescue medical technicians they decided to ask for assistance from the coastguard with the extrication of the casualty.
The casualty was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the helicopter from Humberdide Rescue for the short flight down to the bottom of the valley before being handed over to North West Ambulance Service for the trip to hospital.
- Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, formed in 1964 and now based in Greenfield, is a voluntary organisation whose objective is “to save life and alleviate distress, primarily in upland and mountain areas” without cost or obligation.
Their team of 50+ volunteers provide a professional rescue service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and are funded almost entirely by generous public donations.
Find out more on their website: https://omrt.org/
Ouch.
I have to confess that as I’ve got older that is exactly to kind of injury that I’m becoming increasingly wary of; all you have to do is miss a step or lose your footing and the damage is done in a moment.
Judging the balance between and acceptable risk and responsible prudence; even with H&S training can still be a difficult call sometimes even when you know, (or worse you think you know,) the terrain but the thought of one day having to be carried off the hills by OMT is a getting increasingly sobering these days.
Once again it’s good to know they were there.