The team was called out to Giants Hole around 12am this morning. Snow hampered progress initially, but luckily our friends at Buxton Mountain Rescue Team were in attendance to support us with surface personnel and off road vehicles. The team stood down at approx. 3:30am after hauling 3 very cold people up Garlands Pot and sending them for rewarming and a check over by EMAS.

A group of cavers were reported as overdue at approximately 6pm on Thursday 29th December – they had been undertaking the classic round trip at Giant’s Hole close to Castleton and had started their trip at 11am.  Arriving on the scene, a group of rescuers were sent underground to search the round trip and communications were set up underground and above ground to allow the passage of information between the underground teams and the control team. A further team of rescuers entered the cave to rig up Garland’s Pot, and another sent to a nearby cave to ensure that the missing cavers had not decided to extend their day’s adventures. The missing cavers were discovered at approximately 9pm and were well, but very cold. They were assessed by the team doctors and were led to Garland’s Pot by the rescuers, where they were hauled up, warmed up with hot drinks and walked to surface by 11:48pm.  We sincerely hope that this adventure will not dissuade the party from future caving.

CALL OUT: Giants HoleWe were called around 10PM, 8th December, by Buxton Mountain Rescue Team asking us to take over a shout they had started to respond to.Initial information indicated a group was in need of assistance near to Giants Hole but it soon became clear after they talked to the informant that a party of 4 were trapped below Garlands Pot, one member probably suffering from extreme hypothermia. When we arrived on scene a small team from BMRT had managed to pass some equipment down to the stranded party, including a CasBag so they could start self treatment. Our volunteers then took over the underground side of the rescue with BMRT kindly managing the surface side – including the welfare of the caving party already outside the cave on quite a cold, wet, windy night. Our team members, including a team doctor quickly descended a very wet Garland Pot to access and treat the trapped party while setting up a hauling system to bring them safely to the top of the pitch and assist them outAll casualties and cavers were back on the wet and windy surface by 1am where team medics from both BMRT and DCRO handed them into the care of EMAS Ambulance and Hart Team. All team members were heading back to the comfort of their beds by 2am

Callout 400 – 24th February 2019 Having spent the day on a training exercise near Cromford the team were called out by Derbyshire Police just as they were packing up. Concerns had been raised for three men seen entering Giants hole, Castleton. One team member set off for the cave to investigate whilst the some of the others took the team vehicle back to base and repacked it ready for a possible shout. The team member at Giants found the cavers in good physical condition – not cold or tired – but it was felt they would benefit from some assistance to climb the pitch. A full team call-out was avoided as those still at base attended with the DCRO Vehicle. A small team went into Giants, rigged a ladder and lifetime to assist the men up the pitch. All then came out under their own steam.