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Extract from "Caving Practice and Equipment"</p>

<h1>Expedition Rescue</h1>

<p>For expedition caving, self-help may be all that is available. In new
territory with unknown hazards, the uncertainty of the flood risk, the
likelihood of unstable rock, a new system and the need for long, tiring
trips, where pressure to extend exploration could cause a compromise on
safety margins, are all factors which could increase the accident risk.
Perhaps the experience of those involved and the knowledge that only the
expedition's resources are to hand have contributed to the remarkably good
safety record of British expeditions.</p>

<p>With dozens of trips leaving each year to worldwide locations few serious
accidents seem to have occurred. The 1970's saw three British deaths in
northern Spain, one to a cave diver, one owing to an SRT rope failure and the
third to a caver who fell while unprotected. A grave injury also occurred to
a caver in New Guinea.</p>

<p>In the 1980's a young British caver disappeared in the Gouffre Berger in
France. Despite an extensive search and a tremendous effort by French
rescuers, his body was not found until the following season when he was found
to have been killed instantly by rockfall.</p>

<p>Throughout this decade more British cavers than ever have travelled to
remote spots worldwide without any other fatalities known to the writer.</p>

<p>A nine member Cambridge University Caving Club expedition set us all a
fine example in the late 80's. In Austria in a technically awkward vertical
cave, one of their members broke her femur, or thigh bone, just beyond a
tight rift 140 metres underground. They did not know if an underground rescue
team was available so sent for help in case it was and set about self rescue.
Immobilising a fractured femur without equipment designed for this purpose is
far from easy, but by improvising with the detachable struts from Karrimor
rucksacks they managed it. To call their victim determined is probably an
understatement, but by the time the Austrian cave rescue team arrived she was
more than half way out of the cave and progressing very well.</p>

<p>Unbelievably, after this saga another of their number broke his pelvis in
a fall at the same spot and without thinking about it they quietly rescued
him! What an example to those who cave in the UK and a reassurance to
expedition cavers.</p>

<hr />
<ul id="links">
	<li>The <a href="../years/1989/rescue.htm">1989 rescues</a> referred to.</li>
	<li><b>Other rescue topics:</b>
	<ul>
		<li><a href="http://www.waddingtons.info/NPC/1987/DRGIBSON.HTM">Caving
		Accidents: Management from Site to surface</a>. An article by Dr. D.Gibson
		in the 1987 NPC Journal.</li>
		<li><a href="../years/1980/report.htm#rescue80">Trapped by flood</a> in 113, 1980</li>
		<li><a href="../years/1984/log.htm#rescue84">Sitting out flood</a> in 145, 1984</li>
		<li><a href="../years/1991/log.htm#id1991-182-7">Hit by flood pulse</a> in 182, 1991</li>
		<li><a href="../years/1993/log.htm#id1993-161-18">Mislaid for 27 hours</a> in 161, 1993</li>
	</ul></li>
	<li><a href="index.htm">Expedition Handbook</a> - Intro
	<ul>
		<li><a href="look4.htm">Prospecting guide</a></li>
		<li><a href="survey/index.htm">Surveying guide</a></li>
		<li><a href="rig/rigit.html">Rigging guide</a></li>
		<li><a href="photo.htm">Photography guide</a></li>
	</ul></li>
	<li><a href="../indxal.htm">Full Index to area 1623</a></li>
	<li><a href="../index.htm">Back to Expedition Index page</a></li>
	<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a></li>

</ul>
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[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">`
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[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00			`<head>`
Having checked for latin1 characters, redefine meta content type from latin 1 to utf8 2022-06-22 22:59:33 +01:00			`<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf8" />`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00			`<title>Caving Practice & Equipment: Expedition Rescue</title>`
../css -> /css 2024-12-16 22:11:42 +00:00			`<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/main2.css" />`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00			`</head>`
			`<body>`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`<p style="font-size: 80%; text-align: center">`
			`Extract from "Caving Practice and Equipment"</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`<h1>Expedition Rescue</h1>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>For expedition caving, self-help may be all that is available. In new`
			`territory with unknown hazards, the uncertainty of the flood risk, the`
			`likelihood of unstable rock, a new system and the need for long, tiring`
			`trips, where pressure to extend exploration could cause a compromise on`
			`safety margins, are all factors which could increase the accident risk.`
			`Perhaps the experience of those involved and the knowledge that only the`
			`expedition's resources are to hand have contributed to the remarkably good`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`safety record of British expeditions.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>With dozens of trips leaving each year to worldwide locations few serious`
			`accidents seem to have occurred. The 1970's saw three British deaths in`
			`northern Spain, one to a cave diver, one owing to an SRT rope failure and the`
			`third to a caver who fell while unprotected. A grave injury also occurred to`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`a caver in New Guinea.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>In the 1980's a young British caver disappeared in the Gouffre Berger in`
			`France. Despite an extensive search and a tremendous effort by French`
			`rescuers, his body was not found until the following season when he was found`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`to have been killed instantly by rockfall.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>Throughout this decade more British cavers than ever have travelled to`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`remote spots worldwide without any other fatalities known to the writer.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>A nine member Cambridge University Caving Club expedition set us all a`
			`fine example in the late 80's. In Austria in a technically awkward vertical`
			`cave, one of their members broke her femur, or thigh bone, just beyond a`
			`tight rift 140 metres underground. They did not know if an underground rescue`
			`team was available so sent for help in case it was and set about self rescue.`
			`Immobilising a fractured femur without equipment designed for this purpose is`
			`far from easy, but by improvising with the detachable struts from Karrimor`
			`rucksacks they managed it. To call their victim determined is probably an`
			`understatement, but by the time the Austrian cave rescue team arrived she was`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`more than half way out of the cave and progressing very well.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
			`<p>Unbelievably, after this saga another of their number broke his pelvis in`
			`a fall at the same spot and without thinking about it they quietly rescued`
			`him! What an example to those who cave in the UK and a reassurance to`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`expedition cavers.</p>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`<hr />`
			`<ul id="links">`
			`<li>The <a href="../years/1989/rescue.htm">1989 rescues</a> referred to.</li>`
			`<li><b>Other rescue topics:</b>`
			`<ul>`
bad external urls fixed 2021-04-11 01:25:13 +01:00			`<li><a href="http://www.waddingtons.info/NPC/1987/DRGIBSON.HTM">Caving`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`Accidents: Management from Site to surface</a>. An article by Dr. D.Gibson`
			`in the 1987 NPC Journal.</li>`
			`<li><a href="../years/1980/report.htm#rescue80">Trapped by flood</a> in 113, 1980</li>`
			`<li><a href="../years/1984/log.htm#rescue84">Sitting out flood</a> in 145, 1984</li>`
[svn r5899] Finally: all the links are well and truly fettled. I think I should retire on the spot, and leave maintaining the resulting mess to other people. 2004-04-29 18:43:49 +01:00			`<li><a href="../years/1991/log.htm#id1991-182-7">Hit by flood pulse</a> in 182, 1991</li>`
			`<li><a href="../years/1993/log.htm#id1993-161-18">Mislaid for 27 hours</a> in 161, 1993</li>`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`</ul></li>`
			`<li><a href="index.htm">Expedition Handbook</a> - Intro`
			`<ul>`
			`<li><a href="look4.htm">Prospecting guide</a></li>`
			`<li><a href="survey/index.htm">Surveying guide</a></li>`
Changing all the menu links to the fixed rigging guide 2019-02-27 17:08:22 +00:00			`<li><a href="rig/rigit.html">Rigging guide</a></li>`
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`<li><a href="photo.htm">Photography guide</a></li>`
			`</ul></li>`
			`<li><a href="../indxal.htm">Full Index to area 1623</a></li>`
			`<li><a href="../index.htm">Back to Expedition Index page</a></li>`
			`<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a></li>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
[svn r5797] All this bloody mess now validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict. What's more, some of the obviously out of date bits have been updated, or at least notes written to warn people that the information is out of date. I couldn't be arsed to do the surveying guide as well. I've just spent about eight hours doing this, I need food! 2004-04-22 19:13:46 +01:00			`</ul>`
[svn r3779] Added HTML files. 2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00			`</body>`
			`</html>`