THE
CAVE RESCUE ORGANISATION
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The
Cave Rescue Organisation is the oldest such organisation in the world.
In On October 13, 1934, a member of the Moor and Fell Club was injured by
a loose boulder when descending Gingling Hole on Fountains Fell. It
took 29 hours and a lot of improvisation to get the injured man out of
the cave which included taking a local doctor who was a non-caver into
the pot to set his leg in plaster. This incident prompted the formation
of the Cave Rescue Organisation the following year.
They initially carried out cave rescues only but by the 1960's were
carrying out surface rescues as well. Today, most of their call-outs
are to surface incidents including mountaineering and walking
accidents.
Cave Rescue Land Rovers
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The C.R.O. sometimes assist in major incidents throughout the north of
England and in other areas.
Cave
rescue in the eastern area of the Yorkshire Dales and Wharfedale are
nowadays carried out mainly by the Upper
Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association who also conduct mountain
rescues.
The C.R.O. liase with the police and other emergency services. The
initial 999 call is to the police who will call out cave rescue and the
police are usually present during a rescue.
The C.R.O. sometimes use dogs trained by the Search and Rescue Dogs
Association (S.A.R.D.A.) in search operations on the surface.
Cave rescue groups along with mountain rescue teams are voluntary
organisations and nobody is invoiced for a rescue, although cavers who
go down during bad weather can expect a stern talking to from the
police if they had to be brought out after being trapped by flooding.
The C.R.O. is financed mainly through voluntary donations.
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The dangers of
caving are obvious but each cave is different and caving can be as
difficult or as easy as you wish to make it. Many rescues take place in
'easy' caves because they attract inexperienced cavers such as school
and
university parties. Indeed the last three months of each year is called
the 'Silly Season' by the C.R.O. due to the number of students who get
stuck.
Getting lost is a risk in some of our more extensive systems such as
Easegill, but can also happen after coming out of the cave at night and
the C.R.O. are often called out to cavers lost on the moor.C.R.O.
Headquarters, Clapham.
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