North Lancashire rescue team get nod of approval from Garstang Mayor Peter Ryder

Garstang Mayor Peter Ryder met up with members of the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team at their Barnacre base in Kenlis Road, just south of Garstang, having been driven to the base in one of the team’s front-line Mountain Rescue Land Rover vehicles.

Mayor Ryder was greeted by Chairman Tim Cox and Team Leader Kevin Camplin and given a full insight into the team’s monthly vehicle and equipment checks.

Mayor Ryder, who is in his final few months as Mayor of Garstang, praised the work of the team, saying he was amazed at the dedication and commitment of team members – who are all volunteers – and that Garstang was fortunate to have a mountain rescue team based in the town.

Mayor Ryder said: "They are a really brilliant team doing a really good job in weather which can be very, very bad."

Team leader Kevin Camplin said: “It is wonderful to have the support of the Mayor and people of Garstang.

“He’s a lovely bloke. We have already invited him back with some of his colleagues from the council so they can get a better understanding of how we work.”

An overview of the rescue 55-strong team’s equipment, team communications and IT, and search capability were given to Mayor Ryder by volunteers Chris Thomas, Iain Nicholson, and Julian Earnshaw, respectively.

Kevin, who’s day job is at BAE Systems, added: “We cover all the way down to Skelmersdale in the south, Silverdale in the north, and Gisburn in the east.

“We have been called out 15 times so far this year – an average of over once a week – to a variety of incidents from a walker with a broken leg to a missing Alzheimer’s patient.”