CAVE RESCUE ORGANISATION RESCUE 2020 Incidents attended during 2019 www.cro.org.uk Please take one, but donation appreciated! Volunteers, saving lives above and below ground Our thanks to www.lyon.co.uk for their continued support1 ABOUT THE INCIDENTS WE ATTENDED DURING 2019 Incident Categories Incidents During 2019 We categorise incidents as: ‘Cave’ or ‘Mine’ JANUARY ‘Mountain’:- Volunteers, saving lives above and below ground in 01. Jan. 6th Sun. 14.25 Malham Cove, Walker/Other person Malham – Mountain Incident the Yorkshire Dales, North Lancashire and SE Cumbria A walker (f, 69) slipped and fell on wet So, it happened. We reached over a hundred and make informed decisions in what you do. The Fell Runner limestone pavement, in low cloud, at the incidents in the year – 102, in fact. This has been Dales will always be there tomorrow and they will top of Malham Cove. CRO team members the busiest year in the Cave Rescue Organisation’s always welcome you back. Paraglider treated her lower leg for a suspected fracture, history. It’s not something to celebrate, but it’s Thank you, then carried her, by stretcher, to a team Land certainly a year to reflect upon. Sean Whittle Cyclist Rover for transport down to Malham village and It’s been over a hundred times when the Cave Chair, Cave Rescue Organisation. transfer to a YAS road ambulance. Rescue Organisation has been called to help Climber those in need and over a hundred times when Going out in the hills? 02. Jan. 17th Thu. 20.25 Moor Head Lane, members of our team have left their family, friends Essential kit you should always carry Caver on surface Horton in Ribblesdale – Mountain Incident and places of work to come to the aid of those • Map and compass, torch and head torch and a A mountain biker (m, 60) on an evening who needed us. whistle Swift Water ride hit a patch of ice on the descent to • Without a torch, map and compass are useless Helwith Bridge. Catapulted from his cycle, There is though, so much more than the after dark! operational side of what we do. So many people, Quad rider he dislocated a shoulder. Team members gave Both torch and whistle can be used to signal for him pain relief and immobilised the injury before in so many ways, keep the CRO going, allowing us help: Six good long blasts in a minute. Stop for driving him to the road-head in a team Land to come to the aid of others. From your donations one minute. Repeat. Continue until someone ‘Animal’ Rover. YAS paramedics administered further pain to the partners and employers who understand reaches you and don’t stop because you hear a and contribute in their own way. They provide reply. Your whistle blasts may be a direction finder. ‘Local Incident’. For clarity, local incidents are relief, then took him to hospital for an X-ray and not just physical support, but the emotional Don’t forget spare batteries and bulbs for your divided into:- relocation of the joint. support that we need in the too often, difficult torches. Assist Police or circumstances we face. These people rarely get the recognition they deserve. What to take with you Assist Ambulance • Suitable clothing - warm, windproof and Therefore, I would like to state that I am proud waterproof. Layers work best! to be associated with all the women and men • Footwear - with a treaded sole and ankle ‘Alerts’:- involved with the CRO, those who offer their time support. and energy in such selfless acts. You turned out • Spare clothing including hat and gloves - even Incidents without a number prefix are ‘alerts’, over a hundred times and I know that, if asked, in summer! where ‘action’ went little or no further than the you’d do it a hundred times more. • Ample food and drink for the day including high CRO Duty Controller, with no ‘boots on the So please, visitors, locals and team members energy snacks such as chocolate, nuts or dried ground’. A call is recorded as an ‘incident’ only enjoy yourselves in the Dales and stay safe. Learn fruits. when team members are called out and are at from the experiences of others, as described here, • Always carry water — even in cool weather it’s least en route. easy to become dehydrated. TOTAL INCIDENTS ATTENDED ABBREVIATIONS used in this leaflet LanCon Lancashire Constabulary 2019 = 102 missing person COMRU Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit ‘Misper’ 84 ‘mountain’ incidents MREW Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) CPR Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation 6 ‘cave/mine’ incidents NWAA North West Air Ambulance 7 ‘animal’ incidents (3 u/grd, 4 surface) CumPol Cumbria Police NWAS North West Ambulance Service 3 ‘local’ incidents (team’s MR skills Dislocated shoulder DofE Duke of Edinburgh’s Award NYF&RS North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service applied in ‘other’ locations) EOC Emergency Operations Centre NYP North Yorkshire Police plus 14 alerts for overdue cavers and FIM Force Incident Manager SwMRT Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team walkers, not requiring a call out. This QR code will take FCR Force Control Room UWFRA Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Assoc’n Total volunteer hours on incidents: you to our website GNAA Great North Air Ambulance YAA Yorkshire Air Ambulance 5125, plus 17 hours for alerts. www.cro.org.uk HART Hazardous Area Response Team YAS Yorkshire Ambulance Service All incidents are in North Yorkshire 2 unless otherwise stated. 3 03. Jan. 19th Sat. 08.51 Pen-y-ghent, 05. (same day) 13.35 Leck Fell, Cowan compass or winter gear, they lost their bearings. situation. When CRO members arrived, they were Horton in Ribblesdale – Mountain Rescue Bridge, Lancashire – Mountain Incident A small team was sent to the location given by able to lower him off, then stretcher him down, A walker (m, 40) slipped on ice, just below While the previous incident was ongoing, Phonefind and, after a check on their well-being, through the trees, to a road ambulance. He was the summit of Pen-y-ghent, on the path a quad-bike rider, assisting in a game escorted them down to a team vehicle for assessed by an air ambulance doctor and carried towards Hull Pot and heard a snap from his shoot, rolled his vehicle and sustained back transport back to their car. across the road to a waiting YAA helicopter. right ankle. CRO members responded, but as injuries. NWAS put the team on stand-by, as This was the couple’s first outing in the hills. many active members were beginning a day’s both a road ambulance and the NWAA helicopter Although not adequately equipped this time, MARCH casualty care training, over at UWFRA’s base were on scene. However, the helicopter became perhaps after the advice they were given, they in Grassington, a small group also set off from clouded in, so the team was requested to attend will be better prepared next time! Mar. 9th Sat. 22.14 Lancaster Hole, there, in an UWFRA vehicle. The casualty’s and assist. Casterton Fell, Cumbria – Alert only companions, who had been keeping him Another CRO Land Rover and crew responded Feb. 16th Sat. 15.07 Roaring Hole, Chapel le A team member staying at Bull Pot Farm warm, in low cloud and snowy conditions, were from Clapham, together with five members and a Dale, Ingleton – Alert only phoned the duty controller to advise of an escorted off the hill, while he was splinted and vehicle from incident no 4. They assisted NWAS Two cavers were reported to be ‘trapped’, overdue group of cavers, doing a through put into an insulated casualty bag. He was personnel in stretchering the casualty to the two hours after entering Roaring Hole, trip from Wretched Rabbit to Lancaster Hole. carried and sledged over snow and rough terrain, waiting road ambulance. Southerscales. Ten minutes later they were Others at Bull Pot Farm had established that the kilometre and a half down to a CRO vehicle. reported to be on the surface and walking back the party had reached the base of the entrance Patient and stretcher were driven down to meet a 06. Jan. 27th Sun. 14.02 Ingleborough – down to Chapel le Dale. No action required. pitch in Lancaster Hole, but two novices were YAS road ambulance, in Horton in Ribblesdale. Mountain Incident too exhausted to climb out without assistance. A team member came across a walker, one 09. Feb. 20th Wed. 14.08 Path above There were sufficient cavers at Bull Pot Farm, of a group of five, showing signs of mild Thornton Force, Ingleton – Mountain including members of various cave rescue teams, hypothermia. He was provided with additional Incident to help the exhausted cavers to the surface. CRO warm clothing, food and drink. The team member A visitor (m, 52) was reported to have members were not needed. requested assistance in getting the casualty off collapsed and lost – then regained – the hill and a rendezvous at Trow Gill was agreed, consciousness at the top of the steps above as the casualty was warming sufficiently to walk, Thornton Force, on the Waterfalls Trail. He was initially with assistance. uninjured and declined to be stretchered to a A team vehicle met the group at the base of Trow team Land Rover, waiting on Twisleton Lane. Gill and transported them back to CRO Base, at Instead, he was escorted down to Tom’s Cabin A group shelter is vital for casualty care, on most Clapham, to meet members of their party who and across fields to the Kingsdale road, where days of the year.