Cave and Mountain Rescue in parts of Cumbria, Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales
Versatile Rescuers
Submitted by cromedia on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 12:40.
28 - 29th March 2009 - Two searches for missing people showed the versatility required of members of the Cave Rescue Organisation on Saturday evening and night.
- Four pot-holers from South Yorkshire were reported overdue in Simpson’s Pot, Kingsdale just after 9pm. An initial search of the area of the pot where people are known to go wrong having proved fruitless, the searchers continued down into the Kingsdale Master Cave and out by way of Valley Entrance. Another team of searchers declared the lower part of the cave system clear, which left CRO’s duty controller, Dave Gallivan of Horton in Ribblesdale, with something of a mystery – if they weren’t down Simpson’s Pot, where were they?
- As this was being considered, just before midnight, the dispatcher at North Yorkshire Police’s Force Control Room radioed to say he had some more ‘trade’ for the team; a Three Peaks walker had been reported overdue on Ingleborough. A 73 year-old Scot, he had last been seen by his companions at 5.25 pm, just ascending the Swine Tail towards Ingleborough and determined to complete the full walk. On being interviewed, his companions seemed uncertain of what equipment and spare clothing he was carrying.
While more members were called to begin a surface search for him, the Kingsdale team spread their search, locating the missing pot-holers in Turbary Pot at about 1 am and helping them to the surface, uninjured. Some then changed from wet caving gear into dry walking kit and returned to Clapham, just before 2 am (GMT), to assist in the fell search.
Team members and a search-dog were deployed to cover all the main routes off Ingleborough and the summit plateau, itself. The missing walker, having aggravated an old knee injury and been benighted during his descent, was found, unhurt, about 200m off the main Three Peaks path near ‘Sulber Cross-roads’ at about 3 am. He was accompanied to Borrins Farm, Selside, then met by a CRO Land Rover and returned to his group in Horton.
Twenty members of the team took part in each incident.
- Late on Sunday evening, a group of cavers reported overdue in Gaping Gill, turned up safely as ten CRO members set off to investigate.
