The last ten days has seen CVSRT receive eight requests for assistance from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). The first was on the evening of 13th June, just as our search dogs and handlers were meeting for one of their regular training sessions. A young man had come off his mountain bike in Hardcastle Crags and needed assistance to be evacuated to an ambulance.

The second request was on the evening of Sunday 16th June for a young male who had fallen in Judy Woods on the outskirts of Bradford. A wet, muddy and slippery stretcher carry through woodland saw him transferred into the care of a YAS crew.

Simultaneously with the second incident came a request to evacuate another young male who had fallen, in old stone quarries in the Shibden Valley near Queensbury. Some team members were diverted from the Judy Woods incident to deal with this job. After treatment by YAS paramedics and Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew he was carried by stretcher to the roadside and a waiting ambulance. Team members then left to join colleagues at Judy Woods to assist with the much longer stretcher carry taking place there.

The fourth request was on Monday 17th June to evacuate a female with a lower leg injury from a field near Todmorden. After treatment by CVSRT members she was stretchered across farmland to a waiting ambulance.

In addition to this incident Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England Search Dogs Wyn and Meg, and their handlers, assisted with the search for a missing male in Rossington, near Doncaster.

Next, on Thursday 20th June, came a request to assist a couple who, although uninjured, had become stuck while traversing steep ground between paths in Chevin Woods, Otley. Team members set up a simple rope system to help them to the safety of a path, before they continued their walk.

The following day the sixth request saw the team assist with the evacuation of a female who had been found unconscious on moorland above Walsden. YAS paramedics provided treatment for low blood sugar, and after a short while the casualty was able to walk to a waiting ambulance.

On Saturday 22nd June the team were called to incident near Esholt, to assist with the evacuation of a mountain biker who had fallen off and tumbled 15 metres down a steep slope. After treatment by YAS paramedics he was carried by stretcher to the roadside and a waiting ambulance.

And finally, yesterday, came a request to evacuate a female who had fallen off her mountain bike, sustaining an upper arm injury, on the Rochdale Canal towpath. After treatment by a CVSRT Doctor and YAS paramedics she was carried by stretcher to a nearby ambulance.

Over the same ten days period team members have also taken part in two further Search Dog training sessions (in the Calder Valley and the Yorkshire Dales),a casualty care training session organised by Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT), 4x4 and winch refresher training, a Water First Responder Course alongside members of Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team and BMRT in the River Calder, provided safety cover at the Overgate Hospice Mountain Bike Challenge and the monthly equipment maintenance evening.

These incidents/activities involved 62 people and amounted to over 500 volunteer hours – a massive commitment from each and every operational member of the team and our wonderful supporters.

CVSRT is a fully voluntary organisation which is on-call to respond to those in need 24/7. The team relies entirely on donations to continue to provide essential life-saving rescue service. We receive no direct funding from local authorities or the government. You can help support the team here https://cvsrt.org.uk/support-us#donate

For full details of all incidents attended by Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team visit https://cvsrt.org.uk/incidents

At 18:30 on Monday 5th November, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team received a request from West Yorkshire Police to assist with the search for a missing 70 year old male walker.

CVSRT members undertook an overnight search of open areas and woodland. In the early hours of Tuesday the search was enlarged to include fell parties and search dogs from eleven neighbouring Mountain Rescue Teams who were drafted in to continue the search in daylight hours.

The casualty was located at 11:45 on 6th November by HM Coastguard S92 helicopter with only minor injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.

Thank-you to all the Mountain Rescue England and Wales teams involved in assisting Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team, West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service; Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team, Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT), Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team, Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA), Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs.

In Attendance: 37 CVSRT
Other : 90 Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team, Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT), Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team, Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA), Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs.
West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
HM Coastguard S92 (Bristows Helicopters – Humberside)
Total Duration: 22hrs

And the results are in…

We are very pleased to announce that 35 members from CVSRT and 1 member from HVMRT successfully completed the MREW Casualty Care Examination (Theory & Practical) this weekend. For some this was their first time to take the exams whilst for most it was to recertify their qualifications.

CVSRT would like to thank members of: Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) for providing a Senior Examiner and two training casualties, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT) for providing an assessor and to Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) for providing four casualties. Many thanks also to the four examiners who were in attendance from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) – from Halifax, Bradford Emergency Department, Scarborough RNLI and a clinical supervisor from East Yorkshire.

The successful completion of this Casualty Care Examination is the culmination of several months hard work, perseverance and dedication by team members. It’s worth remembering that all members are specially trained volunteers from the community who have full time jobs where medical care isn’t their chosen vocation. We feel this is an excellent achievement and reinforces our commitment to provide the best possible casualty care to the community.

Non of this would be possible without the selfless help from the numerous medical professionals and fellow mountain rescue volunteers who, over the last few months and this weekend have given up their spare time to assist with our casualty care training and examination. This will be echoed around the country over the coming months as other mountain rescue teams take their examinations. We would also like to thank our active supporters who continue to support the team week after week.

Last but certainly not least, thank you to our families who put up with the long hours of training and who make it possible for us to drop everything at a moments notice to dash off to provide assistance to a complete stranger in their time of need.

Thank you all.
CVSRT

On Saturday 15th July 2017, Mountain Rescue members from the Mid-Pennine Region who are specially trained in water rescues techniques came together at the River Washburn in North Yorkshire to refresh their water rescue skills and to forge a stronger working relationship. Water First Responders and Swift Water Rescue Technicians from Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team gathered in the river flow beneath Woodyard on the river.

It’s worth mentioning that this training was made possible by a kind invitation from Halifax Canoe Club and Yorkshire Water. On limited occasions the river is supplemented from Thruscross Reservoir, providing a guaranteed strong flow of water along the river length into Fewston Reservoir. This in turn provides the perfect opportunity for the canoe club members to enjoy a slalom competition in the upper section, whilst we trained downstream in the lower section of the river.

Throughout the day, team members trained together to practice core water rescue skills required to operate safely around swift water including defensive and aggressive swimming through the flows, throw line rescue and tethered rescue swims to retrieve casualties from the water. The afternoon session included more technical rescue skills training including the tethering and manoeuvring of a rescue craft across the river and into the flow using high lines. Such skills may be called upon to carry out a rescue from a vehicle trapped during a flood.

This training was also part of a developing program to bring together Mountain Rescue water rescue members from across the Mid Pennine Region. All members are trained to the same National Standards for water rescue and from experience during recent major water rescue incidents, i.e. the flooding incident witnessed earlier this year on the East coast, Mountain Rescue water rescue specialists often work together to support the statutory emergency services.

Finally it’s worth remembering that all the equipment seen in these photographs such as the dry suits, water craft, specialist ropes etc. are all funded by generous donations from the public and sponsors from across the region, all supporting their own local Mountain Rescue teams.

We would all like to thank everyone for the continued support for Mountain Rescue teams. This allows us to train and maintain essential skills, ensuring we are prepared to help the public in times of need.

Mick Smith
CVSRT Water Lead

Request from Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team to assist Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and the fire service in locating a 16yr male, who had entered Greenbooth Reservoir and not resurfaced.

Tragically the teenager died. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40336890

In attendance: 19 CVSRT
Greater Manchester Police (GMP)
Bolton Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT)

Total Duration: 2hrs 52mins

The weekend of the 10th of October saw the first MPSRO regional Water First Responder course. Principally organised by CVSRT members, with hosting and additional tuition from Rossendale and Pendle MRT and team members from Bolton, Calder Valley and Rossendale & Pendle in attendance.

Conscious of a global trend towards more extreme weather events and having been called upon to assist during the flooding of recent years, Mountain Rescue Teams nationally have begun to ensure that they are properly trained and equipped to meet the challenges of operating in flood and swift water environments.

Every member of a mountain rescue team is required to have an understanding of working alongside water features and some members are trained as Swift Water Technicians (i.e. trained to enter deeper swift water and retrieve casualties). This course was designed to qualify the attendees with the skills to carry out ‘Non Buoyant’ rescues and operating in the ‘Hot Zone’, where there is a realistic danger and likelihood of accidentally ending up out of your depth. The Course was divided into a theory day at RPMRT base, followed by a practical day on the River Irwell at Burrs Country Park and Activity Centre. Kevin Garvey (RPMRT) and Mick Smith (CVSRT) kicked off with an overview and discussion of the strategic intention of regional cooperation to build a robust swift/flood water capability. Kevin, Mick, Al Day and Howard Barton covered the areas of the syllabus which best suited their knowledge and experience.

As a course participant their informal and collegiate approach made it easy to learn, with all the instructors open to others contributing. We covered how water moves and the hazards specific to submerged features, how to read surface signs to understand the hydrology, communications, organisation, water specific casualty care, kit and equipment and more.