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80 lines
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HTML
80 lines
3.9 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
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<html>
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
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<title>Caving Practice & Equipment: Expedition Rescue</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/main2.css" />
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</head>
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<body>
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<p style="font-size: 80%; text-align: center">
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Extract from "Caving Practice and Equipment"</p>
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<h1>Expedition Rescue</h1>
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<p>For expedition caving, self-help may be all that is available. In new
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territory with unknown hazards, the uncertainty of the flood risk, the
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likelihood of unstable rock, a new system and the need for long, tiring
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trips, where pressure to extend exploration could cause a compromise on
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safety margins, are all factors which could increase the accident risk.
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Perhaps the experience of those involved and the knowledge that only the
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expedition's resources are to hand have contributed to the remarkably good
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safety record of British expeditions.</p>
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<p>With dozens of trips leaving each year to worldwide locations few serious
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accidents seem to have occurred. The 1970's saw three British deaths in
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northern Spain, one to a cave diver, one owing to an SRT rope failure and the
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third to a caver who fell while unprotected. A grave injury also occurred to
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a caver in New Guinea.</p>
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<p>In the 1980's a young British caver disappeared in the Gouffre Berger in
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France. Despite an extensive search and a tremendous effort by French
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rescuers, his body was not found until the following season when he was found
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to have been killed instantly by rockfall.</p>
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<p>Throughout this decade more British cavers than ever have travelled to
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remote spots worldwide without any other fatalities known to the writer.</p>
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<p>A nine member Cambridge University Caving Club expedition set us all a
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fine example in the late 80's. In Austria in a technically awkward vertical
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cave, one of their members broke her femur, or thigh bone, just beyond a
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tight rift 140 metres underground. They did not know if an underground rescue
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team was available so sent for help in case it was and set about self rescue.
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Immobilising a fractured femur without equipment designed for this purpose is
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far from easy, but by improvising with the detachable struts from Karrimor
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rucksacks they managed it. To call their victim determined is probably an
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understatement, but by the time the Austrian cave rescue team arrived she was
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more than half way out of the cave and progressing very well.</p>
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<p>Unbelievably, after this saga another of their number broke his pelvis in
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a fall at the same spot and without thinking about it they quietly rescued
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him! What an example to those who cave in the UK and a reassurance to
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expedition cavers.</p>
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<hr />
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<ul id="links">
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<li>The <a href="../years/1989/rescue.htm">1989 rescues</a> referred to.</li>
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<li><b>Other rescue topics:</b>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="http://www.pennine.demon.co.uk/NPC/1987/DRGIBSON.HTM">Caving
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Accidents: Management from Site to surface</a>. An article by Dr. D.Gibson
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in the 1987 NPC Journal.</li>
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<li><a href="../years/1980/report.htm#rescue80">Trapped by flood</a> in 113, 1980</li>
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<li><a href="../years/1984/log.htm#rescue84">Sitting out flood</a> in 145, 1984</li>
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<li><a href="../years/1991/log.htm#1991-182-7">Hit by flood pulse</a> in 182, 1991</li>
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<li><a href="../years/1993/log.htm#1993-161-18">Mislaid for 27 hours</a> in 161, 1993</li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="index.htm">Expedition Handbook</a> - Intro
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<ul>
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<li><a href="look4.htm">Prospecting guide</a></li>
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<li><a href="survey/index.htm">Surveying guide</a></li>
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<li><a href="rigit.htm">Rigging guide</a></li>
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<li><a href="photo.htm">Photography guide</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../indxal.htm">Full Index to area 1623</a></li>
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<li><a href="../index.htm">Back to Expedition Index page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a></li>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</html>
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