DCRO Call-out at Bagshawe Cavern

We had been home for a short while after the day's caving. Karen had put her caving clothes in the washing machine and just after 17:00 we were getting ready to see Mike Harding at Buxton Opera House. Just after Karen had finished in the shower and I was going to have a bath, I answered the phone. A call-out. Typical!

A 14 year old girl, a member of a led party from Edale Youth Hostel, had slipped in The Hippodrome in Bagshawe Cavern and hurt her back.

We drove to Bradwell and joined the other vehicles in the Bagshawe Cavern car park and Karen was asked to help out with the base radio, etc. while I got changed into my caving gear.

A group had already been sent down to see what was happening with a crash bag, etc. and Anne, Claire and myself had a look at how we might rig ropes to assist getting the stretcher up the concrete steps at the entrance.

In the end, Ben, one of the Controllers, decided it would be best to use a single length of rope, even though the steps weren't straight and there was a roof-lowering. 

At first we were told the girl was packaged up in a stretcher and we would be hauling up the stairs in half an hour – which didn't seem likely. Then we were told to join the others underground.

We moved the stretcher through the easy passage after The Hippodrome towards the entrance but as it was mostly narrow it made it very slow and difficult.

By keeping the stretcher on the move, supporting it on our legs as we squatted in narrowings and moved the stretcher along and taking advantage of any slight widenings in the passage to get Team Members to try and get passed from the rear of the stretcher to the front, we soon arrived near the foot of the steps.

I had been tasked to sort out the hauling up the steps and along with Brendan, Simon and three others, we climbed back up the stairs to get ready to help move the stretcher up the steps. Basically we were supporting some of the weight and preventing the stretcher from slipping back down while others on the steps manoeuvred the stretcher.

Just after 21:00, the girl was being loaded into the waiting ambulance and after loading the dirty kit into the vehicle and a quick debrief in the car park, we headed for home grateful that it hadn't taken too long.

It was a pity about missing the Mike Harding show, though.