During a private meet when members of the B.C.C., conducted members of the Todmorden round Table down Alum Pot, one of the visitors (who has done no previous caving) slipped on the cascades and fell about ten feet bruising his right knee. At this point he decided to go no further, but to make his way out. He negotiated the pitch to the trench, the bridge, and Greasy Slab, with the aid of a strong pull on the lifeline in each case. At the Dolly Tubs pitch, although he didn't say so, he was quite fatigued, and his leg was hurting. He started the climb very slowly with a very strong pull on the line. At the ledge where a B.C.C., member was posted he rested, then went on, nearly at the top of the pitch where the ladder hangs close to the rock face the lifeline 'broke'. I now quote Denis Clarkes own words "I hung on to the ladder, but could fell my feet were slipping off the rungs (the footwear was cut down service type boots, unnailed). One of the boys passed me a sling to hang on to but I was unable for some reason to grab it, my hand just would not seem to move, I then fainted. and knew nothing more until I came to at the bottom of the pitch". (Time 3.30 p.m.).
At this point a doctor member of the party roughly assessed the damage and one of the lifeliners went out through Long Churn to summon C.R.O. (Time 3.45 p.m.) from Selside, two other members ran to our nearby bungalow and returned immediately with blankets and hot drinks.
Within an hour of the fall the ambulance had arrived and the morphine was lowered down the main pitch (Time 4.45 p.m.) and quickly taken to the foot of Dolly Tubs, and administered. The stretcher followed (Time 4.55 p.m.) and the patient was carefully transferred to the stretcher, under the supervision of Peter Vallow the Doctor, and Brian Boardman a serving Cadet Officer in the Saint John Ambulance Brigade. He was strapped up and taken up the pitch without difficulty, thanks to the familiarity of our members with the technique, due to previous C.R.O. exercises. At the next hazard, the letterbox, we were met by volunteers rescuers of the C.R.O., and the journey to the Ambulance took rather more than an hour. The patient was on his way to Leeds within two and a half hours of the mishap.
On behalf of all the persons concerned in the accident, the B.C.C., would like to record its appreciation to the C.R.O., and the Ambulance Service in particular, and also to the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue team, the police and all other persons who responded to the alarm in such an efficient and prompt manner. I feel the highest praise is also duo to our own members, both the rescuers (who had a man of fifteen stones to contend with) and also the members who prepared the hot drinks and the food.
As a point of interest the injuries were broken pelvis, five broken ribs and extensive internal bruising. After seven weeks in hospital his condition is now fairly satisfactory.
Denis Clarke has asked me particularly to convey his personal thanks to everybody concerned, and in spite of the injuries, after the morphia was administered, he suffered hardly any discomfort, in the N.R. stretcher, at all.
A few minor criticisms in the construction of the stretcher were noted, and these were passed on to C.R.O.
According to R. Hainsworth, the secretary of C.R.O., this was one of the quickest rescues on record.
A test was carried out at the Municipal Technical College, Burnley using an Avery Tensile Testing Machine to ascertain the condition of the lifeline which broke in Alum Pot.
There was a small section of the rope which had some very weak spots on it, due, we think to battery alkali from "Nife" cells being spilt on it. The rope broke in this section.
The rope was tested and broke at 13.9 cwts.
The rope in the above mentioned weak section broke at 2.1cwts.
CONCLUSION. Due to the damage by alkali on a small section of rope it was quite unfit to use. The remainder of the rope is quite satisfactory.
Because of the comparative newness of the rope and its apparently good external appearance the B.C.C., feel that the tackle master or any other person responsible for handling its tackle should not be held responsible for this rope being used.
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