Mountain Rescue at Probus

LIFE AT THE SHARP END OF MOUNTAIN RESCUES

Think of Oldham, the Lancashire town about 10 miles north-east of central Manchester, and it’s unlikely your first thoughts would be about mountain rescue operations! And yet, since the 1960’s, it’s been home to one of the 50 or so volunteer mountain and cave rescue teams operating in the wild and remote places of England and Wales.

This “boomtown” of the industrial revolution – once at the centre of international textile manufacture, its cotton spinning mills producing more cotton than Germany and France combined – now plays a significant role in mountain search and rescue operations.

This Thursday (Oct 8th), Audlem PROBUS Club’s retired business and professional members will hear just how vital the Oldham team is when it comes to saving lives – not just in the Peak District’s mountains – (Kinder Scout and Bleaklow, at more than 2,000 feet high, are generally accepted as mountains) – but in other life-saving scenarios, too.

Peter Hyde, who’s been a member of the team for 60 years, says: “Over the years, mountain rescue has taken me into situations I could never have imagined when I first joined. There have been a great many of the expected mountain searches and rescues, but also road crashes and medical emergencies.”

Perhaps most surprising of all is that these mountain rescue volunteers have even helped bring new life into the world, while, Peter adds: “Some incidents have begun as routine searches and taken a much darker turn. You never quite know what the next call will bring. And perhaps that is what has made all those years in mountain rescue so challenging, rewarding  – and unforgettable!”

Sixty years on, Peter is still involved with the team. He says: “Modern communications and technology mean I can still usefully support the team from my desk at home by providing a link to the other emergency services.”

All are welcome to join the men and women who make up Audlem Probus, to hear Peter’s illustrated presentation,

“Oldham Mountain Rescue Team – An Introduction,          

Audlem Public Hall, 10am.