Report by Jules Barrett
The focus of the day was on communications and casualty evacuation and around fifteen cavers from all the major Derbyshire clubs attended. We met at 10:00 a.m. in the layby in Stoney Dale and subsequently moved the vehicles up to the parking area on the way to Carlswark's Gin entrance. We were presented with a caver exiting Carlswark reporting that his friend was in the Big Dig area with a damaged leg following rockfall. Teams were selected from the cavers available, two teams entering via the Gin entrance with medical equipment and one laying comms cable down Eyam Dale shaft and through to the Big Dig. The casualty was found, medical treatment given, the leg splinted, casualty loaded into a casualty bag and onto a stretcher. A good deal of stretcher-pulling/pushing saw the casualty up into North West passage and on through the rest of the cave and out via the Gin entrance.
The day was an excellent opportunity to meet folks, play with some of the kit and explore some of the issues that might arise in a real rescue. I will be trying to get to other practices through the year. The DCRO training dates and contact details for officers are on the DCRO website at http://www.derbyshirecro.org.uk/.