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For anyone
in need of rescue, whether it's high on a mountain or underground
in a cave, they often rely on the skills of volunteers from rescue
units to save their life.
Every
year, the Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit (COMRU) offer the mountain
rescue team an insight into finding a casualty in a mine, stretcher
carrying and crawling about in an underground situation. The aim
is also to strengthen the relationship between the two rescue groups.
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| Steph
and members of the rescue crews |
For
several of the members of the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team, it was
the first time they'd been underground so the day proved to be a
learning curve.
For
those who took part though, it's not just an adventure trip but
the chance to explore an underground mine and the history underground,
looking at the social and archaeological history of Lake District
mines.
COMRU
get called out about six times a year which they put down to the
fact that underground mine exploration is not a popular sport in
Cumbria, but they are keen to stress how dangerous mines can be
as many people go exploring without being fully prepared.
Brian
Marshall from the mines rescue unit says, "It's complacency,
when the guard's dropped... Rock collapses, sometimes you can even
walk over false floors."
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| Steph
Lloyd all dressed up |
Our
reporter Steph Lloyd, was accompanied by Brian Marshall from the
Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit during the exercise, who knows this
mine like the back of his hand.
He
took her to the hydraulic shaft, which is an area of the mine where
Cumbria's most difficult rescue ever took place in 2000. It took
2-3 hours to find the casualty in the mine and another five hours
to get him out.
At
the end of the practice exercise, both teams felt the day had highlighted
the importance of joint training exercises.
As
far as Paul Witheridge, team leader of COMRU, is concerned it gives
the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team a good idea of what to expect if
they're called out to an underground rescue and it improves the
working relationship between the two teams who may be called out
to work together at a moments notice. He says working together is
vitally important, as extra manpower is always needed on rescues.
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| Our
reporter records her thoughts from underground. |
And
not everybody likes going underground...
Karen Townsend's from the Penrith Mountain Rescue team, "I'm
not happy being underground, and don't feel that confident, but
I do feel that it's part of being in mountain rescue so I force
myself to go down."
After
over six hours underground!, it was a trip to the pub before heading
home for a long soak!
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