Pitlamp
Well-known member
Yes - but they have to follow inflexible rules which don't always work ideally in a cave rescue situation.
If I had to excavate through a choke (for example) to help someone back to safety, I'd want to do it on my terms, based on a fair amount of experience of such things, rather than have to follow arbitrary rules imposed by someone in a cosy office somewhere. Bear in mind the first rule of first aid is to look after your own safety.
Cave rescue is often about problem solving on the fly (but applying techniques and equipment you've trained for) as I'm sure you know only too well Cave Troll from your own considerable CRT service. Sometimes it's necessary to think outside the box - and often with time pressure working against you.
The world of cave rescue has slowly become more bureaucratic over the years. In the days when the CRT used to have to kick all the drunks out of the pub on a Saturday night, to put their wet gear on from that day's hard trip, the job always seems to have got done. (Just an observation.)
If I had to excavate through a choke (for example) to help someone back to safety, I'd want to do it on my terms, based on a fair amount of experience of such things, rather than have to follow arbitrary rules imposed by someone in a cosy office somewhere. Bear in mind the first rule of first aid is to look after your own safety.
Cave rescue is often about problem solving on the fly (but applying techniques and equipment you've trained for) as I'm sure you know only too well Cave Troll from your own considerable CRT service. Sometimes it's necessary to think outside the box - and often with time pressure working against you.
The world of cave rescue has slowly become more bureaucratic over the years. In the days when the CRT used to have to kick all the drunks out of the pub on a Saturday night, to put their wet gear on from that day's hard trip, the job always seems to have got done. (Just an observation.)