Incident 17th February 2024
Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 16:41 on 17th February 2024, concerning a caver with equipment failure who was unable to exit Hunters Hole in Priddy. Two cavers had entered the cave earlier in the day, but one of them was unable to ascend the pitch. A small party of MCR members attended with some spare equipment, re-rigged the lower pitches and the caver was then able to make his way to the surface unaided. The SARCALL incident was closed at 18:19, with everyone and all the equipment back on the surface, and was attended by 7 MCR members in total. MCR are very grateful to Roger Dors, landlord of the Hunters Lodge Inn, for opening the pub earlier than usual to allow members of the caving party (and MCR members!) somewhere to warm up and shelter from the wet and windy weather.
Incident 9th December 2023
At 21:14 on Saturday 9th December 2023, Mendip Cave Rescue were informed that an experienced mine explorer had suffered a fall in Brownes Folly Mine, Monkton Farleigh at about 20:30. Following this fall the casualty had a leg injury and was unable to bear any weight on the injured leg. A couple of Mendip Cave Rescue members were already at the Mine, and were joined by a couple of experienced MCR members and several South West Ambulance Service HART team members, who were escorted to the casualty where he was assessed and given pain relief. The casualty was placed in a stretcher and assisted to the surface, placed in a wheeled stretcher and escorted to an ambulance where he was handed over to SWAS team members. The incident was closed at 01:30 with the casualty safely in an ambulance and MCR team members were then stood down.
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.