A caver was airlifted to hospital after suffering serious injuries in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Cave Rescue Organisation was alerted about 11.40pm after reports the man had suffered head and chest injuries in the main chamber of Gaping Gill.
A team spokesperson said: “When the duty controller obtained up-to-date information he had been recovered to the surface by pothole club winch and was being sheltered in a nearby shake hole.”
Each year in the run-up to August bank holiday, Craven Pothole Club sets up a winch to allow non-cavers to descend almost 100m into the large main chamber of the cave on the slopes of Ingleborough.
The CRO spokesperson said: “An air ambulance was able to land close to the casualty, before team members had set off with a stretcher, so potholers on site assisted the ambulance paramedics to carry him to the helicopter on a spinal board.
“CRO members returned to base and the casualty was flown to hospital.”
Andrew Marshall
22 August 2017Given the state of some cavers I am surprised that ther has not been more incidents...
On a VERY recent Trip where we took a group down Alum Pot/Long churns we came across three VERY poorly equipped groups(with qualified leaders!!) Most of the participants had nothing more than trainers on and only one group actually had safety gear!!! We ended up assisting one group out as they has descended through the cheese press and then could not climb out of dollys tubbs... Thank fully we were on hand and put a safety line and belay in place. This was a SCOUT GROUP with 18 scouts and two leaders.... Just like the hills and mountains too many short cuts are being used and avoidable accidents could be avoided...
I am NOT saying this was the case here(this article) Just that there are more and more happening.