mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-22 07:11:55 +00:00
80 lines
3.9 KiB
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">
|
|
<html>
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
|
|
<title>Caving Practice & Equipment: Expedition Rescue</title>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/main2.css" />
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body>
|
|
<p style="font-size: 80%; text-align: center">
|
|
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>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|