There was a call from Bill at half past eight in the morning putting us on stand-by with a report of someone having gone caving or exploring a mine in the Middelton-by-Wirksworth area and not seen since Friday evening. I suggested calling Mat as he had contacts who were more knowledgeable of the Wirksworth area. So we had to tell Bob and Pat (Karen's Parents) that our plan to visit an open garden in Bonsall later today would have to be postponed while we got our gear ready in case there was a call-out.
The phone rang again about an hour later and I was told that the call-out was proceeding and to meet at Middleton Limestone Mine entrance - a location I suspected after looking at a map of the area. So, the two of us put our gear in the car and we drove to Middleton-by-Wirksworth. Arriving at the main mine entrance we found the entrance to the car park still locked and no one else around. Just as I drove off, a police car arrived and stopped. I reversed back and the policeman told us that the other entrance, off of the road going from the Via Gellia up towards Manystones Lane past Spinney Level, was where we should be heading. So we headed for that location and found a parked police car and another car, belonging to Paul of the WMRG parked by a tarmaced road leading off the main road with a third car parked nearby. This turned out to belong to the missing man.
We introduced ourselves and waited until others had arrived. Soon after, Mat and Nikki arrived followed by Bill not long after. The Mine Manager had been contacted and he had opened up the main entrance to the mine and driven through and opened the entrance we were interested in. He then unlocked the barrier which allowed us to drive up to the second entrance. When we got there we found the DCRO vehicle arriving after also having driven through from the main entrance.
After a quick look at the survey and talking to WMRG members who were familiar with the mine, it was decided to drive into the mine in the mine manager's pickup with me in the cab and Paul of WMRG, Pete, Chris riding in the back and stop at a few places and beep the horn or shout and listen for any replies. The mine passages were very large and there was plenty of room to drive around.
We stopped at the first likely location and split into two groups and quickly looked around the local area. I called everyone back (I was Leader) and we headed for a second likely location and again did the same thing. Again no result, so we drove the mile or so to the main entrance and with no sign of anyone, returned to the DCRO control at the van. Some others had turned up by now and Bill chose an area not far in which needed to be accessed on foot. This was based on 4 parallel passages with interconnecting side passages between piers holding the roof up. The 4 passages had dead-ends at either end. So, Chris, Paul, Pete and I got ready to search this area joined by Mat, Nikki plus Paul's brother Dave and another WMRG member headed in at 12:25pm and after following a central passage to a deep pool in line with the dead-ends in the parallel passages and split into four groups of two with each group taking a parallel passage each and Dave and I the main passage. We worked our way along shouting and searching the side passages which luckily weren't very long. Six of us completed our sections and while we waited for the last two to arrive we had a look at the survey and saw that there was another short loop passage with short side-passages which we might as well quickly look at as well so Nikki, Dave and another headed off while we waited for the last two to arrive. Not long after they did and we walked to the junction with the passage still being searched.
We saw several lights heading towards us from the entrance and I saw that it was Lofty and a few others. He told us we were standing down as the missing man had been found on the surface. So all returned to the DCRO control and again found more team members had arrived along with some from Derby MRT. After a quick debrief and waiting for the policeman and mine manager, who had driven into further parts for a quick search, to return, we all headed for home at around half past three.
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