Dramatic land and air rescue of injured teen
The boy, from the Slaidburn area, suffered a broken wrist and cuts and bruises in the accident, but was discharged from hospital the following day. The fact that he was wearing a good cycle helmet undoubtedly saved him from much more serious and possibly fatal injuries.
Paramedics with the North West Air Ambulance were able to treat the casualty at the scene and he was winched to safety by the crew of an RAF Sea King rescue helicopter.
Emergency services were mobilised at 2-37 p.m. on Friday when Lancashire Constabulary received a 999 call about the incident at Whin Fell, near Dunsop Bridge. The 17-year-old boy had been mountain biking with friends and it was initially thought he could have broken several bones in the fall.
<--!adsense>
Police officers from the Ribble Valley responded immediately, along with the North West Air Ambulance from Blackpool Airport, which was at the scene in minutes. On arrival paramedics were able to assess the casualty, but due to his position on the steep hillside they were unable to move him.
They requested the assistance of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, whose members began to arrive shortly afterwards. They were ferried from Brennand Farm to the top of the fell by the air ambulance and began to set up ropes to secure themselves, the paramedic and the casualty, who was also placed into a fleece casualty bag to exclude hypothermia and strapped into a specialist mountain rescue stretcher.
At this stage it was still thought the boy could have suffered a spinal injury, so to evacuate him in the safest way the mountain rescue team contacted the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss, who dispatched Rescue 122, a Sea King helicopter from RAF Valley, in Wales. It took 40 minutes to arrive, during which time the mountain rescue team and air ambulance crew monitored the casualty and prepared him for helicopter evacuation.
On arrival, the RAF helicopter lowered a winchman and stretcher, which the casualty was secured into. He was then winched into the aircraft and flown to Royal Preston Hospital. Thankfully his injuries proved less serious than feared and, after being kept overnight for observations, he was allowed home the following day.
Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team is a registered charity who, working from their HQ near Dunsop Bridge and a newly-acquired vehicle base near Garstang, provide a search and rescue service for lost, missing and injured people in wild and remote places throughout most of Lancashire. All members of the team, which receives no Government fundng, are volunteers on call 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year. They attend about 60 callouts each year and their website can be found at www.bowlandpenninemrt.org.uk.
The North West Air Ambulance is also a registered charity receiving no mainstream funding, yet it costs over £1.3 million a year to maintain this vital life saving service. Donations can be made by ringing 0800 5874570.
