CVSRT - March 2024
#1546 Ilkley Moor
30 Mar 2024#Callout
At 19:24 on Saturday 30th March 2024, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) who were assisting North Yorkshire Police (NYP) in the search for a family of five who had become benighted on Ilkley Moor.
UWFRA were able to pinpoint the location of the group using ‘Phone Find’ technology, and as this location was in CVSRT’s operating area we were called to assist.
As CVSRT were en-route to the rendezvous point, members of UWFRA had found the group, cold but uninjured, and were able to safely guide them off the moor.
#1546 Ilkley Moor
19:24 Sat 30th Mar 2024
#13 of 2024
Duration 1 hr 37 mins
In attendance;
13 CVSRT
Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England search dogs Wyn and Cooper
UWFRA
NYP
Additional Info
- Date Saturday, 30 March 2024
- Location Ilkley Moor
- Grid Reference SE 11326 45996
- Latitude 53.909999
- Longitude -1.8290781
- Man Hours 21
- Members In Attendance 13
1545 Bronte Falls
30 Mar 2024#CALLOUT
At 11:37 on Saturday 30th March 2024, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to assist with the extraction of a walker who had fallen near Bronte Falls, Haworth, suffering injuries to both ankles.
CVSRT were on scene first and provided initial medical care and pain relief, placing both ankles in immobilising and protecting vacuum leg splints. The casualty was then transferred into a winter casualty bag, onto a stretcher, and carried out to the road head and awaiting ambulance.
#1545 Bronte Falls
11:37 Sat 30th Mar 2024
#12 of 2024
Duration 3 hrs 43 mins
In attendance;
14 CVSRT
YAS
Additional Info
- Date Saturday, 30 March 2024
- Location Bronte Falls
- Grid Reference SD 99830 35837
- Latitude 53.818814
- Longitude -2.0040675
- Man Hours 52
- Members In Attendance 14
#Quiz Night
The second quiz night of 2024, hosted by the Shoulder of Mutton Public House, Mytholmroyd, takes place on Wednesday 27th March 2024 from 19:30.
The first quiz of the year, held in February, raised an amazing £110!
It’s £2 per person to enter, with teams of a maximum 4 people, each team will get a free pizza and all proceeds will go to Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT).
Thanks to everyone at the Shoulder of Mutton for their support and happy quizzing!
1545 Stake Lane
21 Mar 2024#CALLOUT
At 01:00 on Thursday 21st March 2024, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from West Yorkshire Police (WYP) to assist with the extraction of walker who had fallen whilst out near Stake Lane Mytholmroyd , suffering a lower leg injury.
CVSRT members local to the area, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) were first on scene and provided initial medical care and pain relief, placing the injured leg into an immobilising vacuum splint. Upon arrival of remaining team members, the casualty was transferred into a winter casualty bag, onto a stretcher and carried a short distance to the road head and awaiting ambulance.
#1545 Stake Lane
01:00 Thu 21st Mar 2024
#11 of 2024
Duration 2 hrs
In attendance
11 CVSRT
YAS
WYP
Additional Info
- Date Thursday, 21 March 2024
- Location Stake Lane
- Grid Reference SE 01973 25106
- Latitude 53.722361
- Longitude -1.9715738
- Man Hours 21.9
- Members In Attendance 11
#CALLOUT
At 11:09 on Tuesday 19th March 2024, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to assist with the extraction of walker who had fallen near Lanshaw Dam, Burley Moor, suffering a lower leg injury.
As this was a midweek callout attending numbers were low, so assistance was requested from our neighbouring team Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA).
CVSRT, UWFRA and YAS arrived on scene and provided medical care and pain relief, placing the injured leg into an immobilising vacuum splint.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance were en-route to assist, however, they were stood down following an initial assessment.
The casualty was transferred into a winter casualty bag, onto a stretcher and carried to the road head and awaiting ambulance.
__________
While the above call-out was ongoing, a walker raised the alarm for a member of their group who had started to feel unwell. A small team was diverted from the ongoing stretcher carry to assess.
A call was made into YAS for additional support and YAA were recalled back to assist.
CVSRT, UWFRA and YAS provided medical care and the casualty was able to be assisted, on foot, out to the road head.
Following a further assessment by the YAA doctor, the casualty was able to be taken to hospital by a second ambulance
Thank you to UWFRA for their assistance.
#1543 and #1544 Burley Woodhead
11:09 Tue 19th Mar 2024
#9 and #10 of 2024
Duration 3 hrs 51 mins
In attendance
11 CVSRT
11 UWFRA
YAS
YAA
Additional Info
- Date Tuesday, 19 March 2024
- Location Burley Woodhead
- Grid Reference SE 15420 44779
- Latitude 53.898953
- Longitude -1.7668247
- Man Hours 34.9
- Members In Attendance 22
1542 Search At Bradley Woods
12 Mar 2024#CALLOUT
At 22:15 on Tuesday 12th March 2024, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from West Yorkshire Police (WYP) to assist with the search for a missing male near Bradley Woods.
CVSRT search teams were deployed into targeted areas around the missing persons last known location.
At approximately 00:30 one our our search teams located the person safe and well.
After providing some food, drink and additional clothing, the team were able to assist the person, on foot, back out through the woods and fields for approximately 1 km.
Once safely back at the road head, care was handed to the awaiting ambulance.
#1542 Search At Bradley Woods
22:14 Tue 12th Mar 2024
#8 of 2024
Duration 4 hrs 46 minutes
In attendance;
25 CVSRT
Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England (MRSDE) Search dogs Wynn and Cooper
WYP
Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS)
Additional Info
- Date Tuesday, 12 March 2024
- Location Bradley Woods
- Grid Reference SE 15214 21101
- Latitude 53.686148
- Longitude -1.7711163
- Man Hours 125.1
- Members In Attendance 25
International Women’s Day
Today, Friday 8th March, is International Women’s Day, this year’s theme is #inspireinclusion
Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) are proud to honour the women members of CVSRT who play a pivotal part in running the team and help provide assistance in our community when called upon.
Today we are also taking this opportunity to take a look at the archives and revisit an interview one of our very own operational team members, Rebecca Freeman, gave a few years ago to the Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) magazine.
If joining the team is something you are interested in, or you would just like to find out more about what we do, please visit our website www.cvsrt.org.uk or email us at enquireis@cvsrt.org.uk
__________
MREW Magazine interview with Rebecca Freeman
How long have you been involved in MR and what made you join?
I joined Calder Valley in 2010 but I’d been in the Central Beacons team prior to that for two years. When I moved to Yorkshire for work, I applied to move teams too.
In my last year at Central Beacons, I started to get involved in casualty care training for the team using my medical skills, but I’d not really been in the team long enough to be involved at a more senior level.
When I applied to join Calder Valley, they were very enthusiastic about me joining. Within weeks I was assisting the medical officer with his duties and a year later I was elected into the medical officer role formally. We have a policy of a five-year term for any officer role, so I’ve just completed my term as the medical officer. I’m currently an assistant leader.
I’ll still be involved in the medical aspects, as one of two doctors in the team. We don’t have an official team doctor — the medical officer role can be anyone who is interested — it’s just a bit easier if you are medically qualified.
I get involved in the rolling training programme around medical skills and every three years we run the formal Casualty Care course, training and recertifying 30-40 members each time. We try to ensure we get a variety of external speakers in to do the formal training, so team members get a different experience and viewpoint. I make use of specialists who I know to help with this so it’s not just Alastair (the other doctor in the team) and me. I also act as an external examiner and assist in training for other teams when I can.
I joined mountain rescue because I thought it would be fun! I was on a kayaking trip to Scotland and due to the lack of water, we’d gone hiking for the day. Whilst out in a remote valley we came across an injured
hiker who had no means to get himself off the hill or to contact mountain rescue. We called Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team and during the call-out I got talking to someone in the team and it sparked an interest. At the time, I was completing my degree but eventually contacted what was then my local team, Central Beacons.
How do you fit team commitments around your work and family life?
It helps that my partner Rob is also in the team and accepts the fact that plans change, and life can go out of the window. We’ve been trying to decorate our bedroom for weeks now as we keep getting called out at the weekend!
Whilst I have a crazy life working shifts it means I can be available when some people are at work. When I’m on night shifts, I can get up for a call during the day and then go back to bed. It’s no different than someone working during the day and having to respond to an evening call which means they are out searching till 2.00am. They still have to get up for work the following morning. The team is quite flexible
monthly training, maintenance of team kit and vehicles as well as business meetings to make decisions about running the team. We also have a core skills day in February/March, weekend water training and probationary assessments at the start of the year which the wider team assist with, plus other ad hoc training at the weekends too. We share out other roles, so I tend to do less talks to groups or many events due to my work commitments.
What’s the best thing about being a member of mountain rescue?
I really enjoy it. It’s great fun — and I get to do things I wouldn’t normally do and meet really interesting people who I don’t think I would have met otherwise. The social side to the team is really great.
What has been most difficult?
Whilst I was with Central Beacons, we had a difficult call-out for a missing person. The search was relatively simple and short as the person was found by a dog handler quite quickly, but unfortunately, they were found dead. It was difficult dealing with the family, trying to make
although it’s certainly very different finding someone outside rather than dealing with it in a hospital environment but there’s a good support structure in our team, with leaders taking responsibility for following up on ensuring team members are ok and able to talk to anyone, within or outside the team.
There’s also good training through MREW to enable team members to identify when others aren’t coping ok and having abnormal reactions to situations, recognising that team members have different reactions to dealing with issues and might be stressed even if they don’t seem it.
What life experiences have you had that have influenced your role in the team, if any?
I’ve always been quite outdoorsy. I grew up on a farm and I used to be a scout then became leader as a student. Mountain rescue has filled the space to do things outside.
My medical background has definitely influenced what I’ve got involved with in mountain rescue.
What’s a typical call-out for you?
We get about 80 jobs a year, sometimes three a week, sometimes none. We regularly assist the ambulance service with people in difficult and remote locations and do some searches, but we don’t tend to get the ‘traditional’ call-outs for lost walkers. You’re never that far from a road in our area so we can often direct people back to a road over the phone.
What would you say to someone wanting to join now?
Well, I’m not sure I’d get in if I tried now! Many people joining now have a lot of experience and skills before they join — they’re fell runners or really hill savvy with good navigation. You do need to be hill fit with good navigation to be in mountain rescue, but we consider people on their merits. You’re a team member first and your expertise from your job is second — everyone’s equal.
The original article can be found here - https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Issue64Spring2018.pdf
#Team Leader
Over and above being an operational member there are various roles, within Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT), that members fulfil to ensure the success of the team.
One role in particular that has seen change this year, is that of Team Leader.
During our Annual General Meeting in January, Jonathan Cole (JC) summarised his time in the Team Leader role as he prepared to stand down. Detailing his journey in the team that started over 26 years ago. His speech also contained several special mentions to team members who have provided JC with advice, support, and guidance over his four years as leader.
In appreciation for his commitment to the team and his leadership during his time in charge, we were pleased to be able to honour JC with a lifetime membership to CVSRT.
Rob Freeman has been Assistant and more recently Deputy Team Leader, working alongside JC, and is in the perfect position to take on the role.
Rob has been a member of CVSRT for 19 years, bringing a wealth of experience with him, and we have no doubt he will thrive in this role.
Congratulations Rob.