Mendip Cave Rescue
Incident 3rd December 2022
At 10:30 on Saturday 3rd December 2022, an experienced male caver slipped in Goatchurch Cavern, dislocating his shoulder. Mendip Cave Rescue members were already at Goatchurch Cavern, setting up for a training session. The training session was quickly cancelled, and the casualty was assessed, given pain relief and assisted to the surface and down to the car park where he was handed over to colleagues from South Western Ambulance Service. The incident was closed at 11:34 with the casualty safely on the surface and was attended by 25 MCR team members in total.
Incident 26th January 2022
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 21:24 on 26th January 2022, concerning a caver physically stuck in Reads Cavern in Burrington Combe. A party of 7 had entered the cave, and one caver had attempted an awkward squeeze in Zed Alley and found that they were unable to pass a rock constriction, and had become jammed and were unable to move forwards or back out of the squeeze. MCR members attempted to move the casualty, but quickly found that the area around the casualty needed enlarging before he could be moved. Eventually the casualty was freed by using drills and 'plug and feathers' to remove some rock from around his torso which enabled him to be slowly extricated from the squeeze. He was then able to make his way to the surface unaided. The SARCALL incident was closed at 02:57 on the 27th January, with everyone and all the equipment back on the surface, and was attended by 14 MCR members in total.
Photographs taken by Estelle Sandford
History of Cave Rescue On Mendip
Alan Gray, the Secretary of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive, has been collating reports of all caving rescue and incidents located in the Mendip Cave Rescue region, from early reports of an incident in Pen Park Hole in 1669 through to the current day. All these reports, plus newspaper articles and extracts from log books, have been compiled into a book giving a thorough history of the cave rescue incidents that have taken place over the last 350 years, along with some information about how cave rescue equipment has evolved over the years. All of Alan's hard work has resulted in a 750+ page PDF book, that is available as a free download from the MCRA website.
