SCMC Rescue Round-up

Background

The Shropshire Caving and Mining Club is one of the major team members of the Midland Cave Rescue Organisation (MCRO). As such we can be called out to help with a variety of underground problems.

Although the area we cover is comprised mainly of old mine workings (several of which are unstable), we have not had to a major incident in our area for a number of years (although we have been called out to provide backup support to other areas). We hold regular training and practice sessions for our own team and in conjunction with other teams that make up the MCRO. We also hold 'familiarisation' exercises with local Fire & Rescue teams.

Dog Rescue

The calls in recent years have mainly been to livestock incidents, for example horses and/or dogs falling down shafts. Our last animal call-out was on Wednesday 3rd December 1997 to rescue a dog that had fallen down Powis Shaft, Cliffdale Mine, Shropshire.

The dog is believed to have fallen at about 10.30am. The Fire Service was on scene from approximately 1pm with the RSPCA. Assistance of MCRO was requested, 2 team members Neal Rushton and Steve Holding attended the scene.

Neal abseiled down the shaft, with the Fire Service providing surface cover. The dog was easily found and persuaded to get in a tackle bag! It was then hauled up on Fire Service rope - apparently none the worse for the incident.

The dog had actually landed on rubbish filling the shaft about 20 feet down. Soundness of the fill was not tested! Powis shaft is one of three shafts associated with the mine and is actually located in Wales!

The incident ended around 4.45pm

Report by: Steve Holding

Practicing Stretcher Hauling

Above: A member of DCRT carrying tackle, across a traverse above a 30m winze, to the site of the incident.

Above: The victim from the far winze being hauled over another 30m deep winze.

Credits: Pictures: Mike Worsfold

Scenario

An apparently simple scenario was organised with the ‘leader’ of a party of three (Alan Moseley - the Club's First Aid Officer) falling near the Baryte Stope, in Clive Mine, Shropshire. One inexperienced person remained with the casualty while the other went for help reporting his belief that the casualty had possible head injuries and a broken upper leg.

When the initial rescuers arrived at the scene there was no sign of the inexperienced person left with the casualty - this person was later found at the bottom of a winze at the far end of the upper mine level.

One reason for having Alan Moseley as the casualty was to ‘test’ the First Aid knowledge of the rescuers.

The person at the bottom of the far winze presented a particular problem in that there was no rigging for the winze and the rock is not strong enough to bolt! To emphasise the potential for communication problems, the radios were not available. Club Secretary John Priest, who was asked to take control of the underground situation became very frustrated when his repeated requests for rope (to descend the winze) produced no results for a long time.

Another deliberate part of the practice was to compare the use of a frame mounted Neil Robinson stretcher with a cocoon stretcher for pulling through a quite awkward dog-leg infill. Surprisingly, the Neil Robinson stretcher proved to be much more satisfactory!

The general consensus after the event was to emphasise the importance of communications and the desirability of including some rope with the first response equipment. It may have been a mistake to have two casualties with a small number of persons but having given it further thought, resources should be stretched to learn the most.

Report by: Steve Holding

Stretcher Rescue with a Winch

As a practice exercise it was decide to rig the Club winch over the top of Chapel Shaft, Snailbeach (165m to a blockage) to see how easy it would be to haul a stretcher up the shaft - if anyone had an accident on the 40 Yard level or lower this shaft would be the logical one to use for recovery.

Several dummy runs with (heavy) bags of rock in the stretcher were made up and down the shaft, before the underground team removed the bags of rocks, then practiced loading the stretcher and ensuring it could be swung safely back into the shaft with a jockey (one of the underground team) riding on it, with the casualty.

The stretcher, and first aider were then successfully hauled the 100m to surface.

A couple of points to note: with no load on the rope (ie empty stretcher) the winch cable does not lay correctly when winding in and you need a lamp on the stretcher to see where it is!

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