Mendip Cave Rescue

As agreed at the last MCR meeting, the next MCR meeting will be held on Tuesday the 19th March at the Hunters Lodge Inn, Priddy at 20:00. This meeting will also include a short General Meeting to review activities of the past year and confirm officers for the coming year. All are welcome to attend these open meetings.

Mendip Cave Rescue received a message from Wiltshire Police at 17:30 on Wednesday 20th February, regarding an incident involving a lost dog near Box Stone Mines. A Jack Russell terrier had apparently entered a small hole more than a day earlier and could be heard barking, but efforts to extract him had so far failed. Four local cavers met at Quarry Hill, Box at 18:15 as Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service were departing. The Jack Russell (called "Patch") could be heard intermittently through a small hole clogged with leaf litter at the base of a rock outcrop. On inspection of the site it was decided that Patch did not get into the hole that way, so a search for an alternative way in was undertaken. A small, very old, low entry on the south side of the outcrop seemed most likely, so one caver crawled in calling to Patch, and coaxed him towards the entrance. A couple of minutes later Patch appeared on the surface for a slightly tearful reunion with his owners. Patch appeared uninjured and none the worse for its stay underground, and the incident was closed at 19:03.

Rescuers on the surfacePatch after the rescue

Photographs of Patch kindly provided by Derek Hawkins

Mendip Cave Rescue received a SARCALL message from Avon and Somerset Police at 18:24 on Sunday 2nd September 2018, on behalf of their colleagues from Wiltshire Police (who don't currently use SARCALL) for an incident at Box Stone Mines. Two people had entered the mines but were unable to retrace their route to the entrance, and instead found their way to the nearby Lady Hamiltons entrance that was gated preventing their exit. They were, however, able to get a mobile phone signal from within the mine to call for assistance. Two experienced local cavers who know the area well were able to attend the scene and quickly escort the pair to the surface. Mendip Cave Rescue were supported by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service, and the incident was closed at 19:31 with everyone safely back on the surface.

Mendip Cave Rescue wardens rely on other cavers to volunteer and assist during rescues and other incidents.  As such, we maintain a call-out list of those cavers who are happy to help out when required. If you would like to be included on this list, please either download and fill in the MCR Contact Details form or the complete the on-line form below.

MCR Call Out List

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