On 27th of January 2025, members of the MCR rigging team held a rigging practice session at Wookey Hole, along with some members from our neighbouring cave rescue teams GCRG and MCRO. The scenario covered rigging a tyrolean traverse over Wookey chamber 9, and hauling a casualty in the new Petzl Nest stretcher across the chamber. Our thanks to the management and all the team at Wookey Hole, for allowing us access to the showcave for this practice scenario.
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Selection of photos taken at the rigging practice in Wookey Hole (photos taken by Andrew Atkinson)
On 18th of January 2025, 30 MCR members held a rescue practice at Sludge Pit in Priddy. The scenario covered all aspects of a complex cave rescue, with Command & Control (based at the nearby Wessex Cave Club headquarters), underground and surface communications, rigging and medical care provided by some of the members who had recently passed their RRMT qualification. This practice session allowed most of the team to see the new Petzl Nest stretcher in action.
Selection of photos taken at the rescue practice in Sludge Pit (photos taken by Martin Grass)
On 29th of September 2024, 13 MCR members passed their MREW Remote Rescue Medical Technician (previously known as "Cas Care") course, which allows them to provide advanced first aid to people in remote environments. This course has been running since the start of the year, with several training sessions to cover all the skills that are required. The final series of training sessions was held on the 28th of September in Goughs Cave, where the management of the Cheddar Gorge show caves kindly allowed us to use their excellent showcase and adventure caving route to recreate realistic underground scenarios.
MCR trainees and volunteer casualties outside Goughs Cave (photo taken by Fenia Vitali, General Manager at Cheddar Gorge)
Mendip Cave Rescue held a rescue practice for the Stone Mine members in Swan Mine on Saturday 5th March 2022. This was a practice aimed more at the stone mines area, concentrating on the command & control and communication aspects of a search of a stone mine for a missing person. Two underground search teams entered the mine and were tasked with searching different areas of the mine, and reporting any casualties found to an underground control point. Communications between this underground control point and the surface were established, using both Cave Link for text messages and Heyphones for voice, along with the "micro Heyphone" kindly loaned to us by Ian Cooper from Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation. All simulated casualties were found and information about these casualties was successfully communicated back to the surface control point.
Mendip Cave Rescue held a rescue practice in Swildon’s Hole on Saturday 6th November 2021. This was a full team practice with members working together in their specialist groups. A simulated casualty just above the 20’ pitch was examined and treated by our casualty carers before being packaged into a stretcher for extrication. The ‘casualty’ was then carried along the streamway, where our rigging teams had rigged the old 40’ pitch and water rift traverse all the way back to the water chamber. We ended the practice at the water chamber. Alongside the casualty carers and rigging teams, we also had communications established with the surface using cave link. This was a very successful and professional practice with great teamwork.
Photographs taken by Greg Brock