OLDHAM Mountain Rescue Team found themselves answering the call, literally, after shouts sparked an operation.
And they insist their time – about three hours and 15 minutes on Friday, February 10 – was not wasted when it emerged the noises came from a group of young men.
Police contacted the unit asking for assistance with reports of a walker who had heard shouts for help in the area around Dovestone Reservoir.
Initially, the exact location of the walker and the shouts was initially unclear.
But as the team was deploying toward some potential sites, the callout officer managed to make contact with the walker and established the shouts had been heard above Chew Track on the edge path.
The team directed various different elements, including the National Police Air Service HQ helicopter, to the specific location and its associated paths.
A spokesperson for Oldham Mountain Rescue Team said:” After searching for nearly two hours, a group of young males was eventually identified as having been in the area of the shouting, and at that time.
“They were escorted down to the reservoir path and, following a discussion with GMP Saddleworth and Lees officers, admitted they may have been shouting at one point.
“Although it was apparent that they had meant no malice by it.
“While it may be tempting to call this a waste of resources, we are not of that opinion. The initial caller genuinely believed someone was shouting for help and raised the alarm accordingly.
“The males did not intentionally mislead anyone and admitted their folly when questioned, and we were able to be sure that we could close down the incident knowing that all were accounted for.
“A great display of inter-agency cooperation from all involved.”
This again ?
So no one actually asked them for help as such and no one was really in trouble anyway, (someone had heard shouts,) and as usual they all just leapt into action at the drop of hat and on the off chance that. “someone,” might have been having difficulties without any idea who or where?
Still it’s got them into the paper yet again and that’s always good for fundraising if nothing else ?
Personally I’d describe the entire incident and typically so as having been a complete waste of everyone’s time and verging on hysterical over reaction..
However, on Tuesday afternoon Feb 14 they assisted a man who had collapsed whilst out walking, which is the sort of thing they’re supposed to be there for and I’ve no doubt that everyone involved was grateful for their time a support.
I still think they’re milking it, (for publicity, prestige, from boredom, for funding,) though and are increasingly acting more like those wretched Rangers than like a Mountain Rescue team ?
Having said that, I shall now forever live in dread of the day when the Mountain rescue Team finally have to haul me off the hills, now in my now declining years, (and wouldn’t that be humiliating,) but part of the problem is inexperience, lack of familiarity with terrain , lack of planning and lack of common sense.
Sometimes the last of those also applies to Mountain rescue Team, although I’ll concede it might be a tough call sometimes ?
Whist you can make something foolproof, but you can’t make it damn-foolproof but effectively trying to ban anyone, “we,” don’t much like the look of from the moors is not the way to go.
Feb 17, The NW Ambulance Service requested Oldham Mountain Rescue Team give them assistance with evacuating a young woman who had fallen from her horse whist riding in the Bushes in Shaw.
By the time The Mountain Rescue Team arrived the Ambulance crew had already carried out a medical assessment and treatment, so they packaged her in a vacuum mattress and stretcher for the short carry up the hill to the ambulance.
A total of 11 Mountain Rescue Personal were involved for an hour.