The team doctor and team members treat a casualty. Photo: Bowland Pennine MRT

Rescuers in Lancashire were called out three times in one day as winter conditions gripped the area.

Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team received its first call for help on Sunday when a man and his four-year-old son became stuck in a bog on Hare Appletree Fell.

Police reported the man could not find the path on the fellside, south of Clougha Pike in the Forest of Bowland.

A team spokesperson said: “Team members were able to locate them quickly and to assist them back to the car park at Jubilee Tower where they were warmed up in a rescue team vehicle as they were suffering with early stages of hypothermia.

“Both father and son, once warmed and given sweets and sugar, were then advised to seek further medical attention.”

The team said recent snowfall and bright sunny weather had inspired many to get outdoors to enjoy the winter wonderland. Sadly the icy conditions underfoot led to a number of accidents which needed the assistance of mountain rescue, the spokesperson said.

Before the first incident had ended, ambulance staff requested the team’s help to deal with a 72-year-old woman who had fallen on an icy path near Shaw Brook in Worden Park, west of Leyland.

The spokesperson said: “Team members were quickly redeployed and located the injured lady in the care of a passing doctor who had reported a serious injury to her hip.

“The lady was stretchered out of the woodland stream valley and placed in a mountain rescue Land Rover, keeping her warm to await the arrival of an ambulance for onward transportation to Preston hospital.

“Just as team members were thinking about their dinner, the police incident commander called the team out to a male who had been injured whilst sledging near Abbey Village.

“The team doctor and paramedic established that the man had sustained potential leg and back injuries which required the use of a specialist vacuum splint. He was transported by the team Land Rover to the road and transferred to a land ambulance.”

Team leader Kevin Camplin said: “We have the resources and capability to respond to the exceptional circumstances of multiple callouts on the same day.

“I am proud to be the leader of the team of 30 volunteers who gave up much of their Sunday to assist the police and ambulance services in helping our community. We are non-judgemental but would advise members of the public to take care under the current icy conditions and appreciate that accidents will happen.”