Grin Low, Buxton
- Call out for year: 7
- Date: 16/02/21
- Time: 5:22 pm
- Grid ref: SK 05053 71884
- Type of incident: Walker Injured(1)
- Team members involved: 25
- Time taken: 1 hour 6 minutes
- Total man hours: 28 hours
Incident report
After weeks of freezing temperatures and biting easterly winds, milder weather returned to Buxton and stripped the slopes of snow and ice. While out enjoying these warmer conditions, a local resident slipped on a steep patch of mud at the top of Grin Low sustaining a very painful lower leg injury.
A 999 call was made to East Midlands Ambulance Service and paramedics were soon on scene to begin the initial treatment. Due to the location, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team were called to assist with the evacuation off the hill. The first team member on scene was our Logistics Officer, who happened to be out enjoying a cross-country run close to the incident location and was able to organise the deployment of the equipment necessary to carry the lady down to the ambulance. As more team members arrived this evacuation plan was put into action and the equipment made ready to begin the evacuation. A box splint was applied to the casualty’s lower leg and because of the temperature drop, as night fell, the casualty was wrapped in a large sleeping bag before being placed onto the mountain rescue stretcher and vacuum mattress.
This ‘vac mat’ acts as a splint for the whole body and restricts movement which might make any injuries worse. By the light of head torches team members then carried the lady down the track to the car park to be handed over to the EMAS ambulance crew for transport to hospital and further medical treatment.
We wish the casualty a speedy recovery and hope to see her back soon enjoying the outdoors. We would also like to thank the employee from Buxton Club Site who assisted with access.
