Cave rescue in Germany

Mrs Trellis

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
There's a solid account in today's Sunday Times.

This, however, has a pay wall.

I've no wish to get anyone in copyright problems but I understand that the caver has a head injury similar to Michael Schumacher. The third member of the cavers made the surface in 12 hours rather than the normal 24 hours to report the accident.
 
Mrs Trellis

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
Good piece on BBCR4 Today - interview with rescue leader. Again solid stuff and no sensationalism.  Injured man now starting his exit.

Graphic on R4 Twitter feed

BqPG_EVIgAAR3wf.jpg
 
hoehlenforscher

hoehlenforscher

Active member
Good news from the cave. The rescue is going to plan. Currently 50 persons are working in the cave to prepare the hauls and to move the stretcher. Johann is now at camp 3 having been successfully transported through the more horizontal parts of the cave. They are estimating a day of transport between each of the remaining camps so with luck he should be out in three days time.
 
R

rsch

Member
Well, some video footage is out of the cave at least. According to today's news, the casualty was at Camp 3 by early monday morning and should be leaving there sometime around now. He's got some way to go yet.
 
damo8604

damo8604

New member
Reading the Guardian this morning there was a quote that the rescue is likely to cost several million euros, is this correct/likely?
 
Maj

Maj

Active member
damo8604 said:
Reading the Guardian this morning there was a quote that the rescue is likely to cost several million euros, is this correct/likely?
Click to expand...

Well they have been using a number of helicopters (4?) to air lift the rescue volunteers and equipment up to the entrance, which would otherwise be a four hour climb. Looking at some of the videos and photos, I think they are using a local fire station as a base, or for press conferences at least, in addition to a low level camp and a camp at the entrance. There is also at least one fire tender (obviously not just a Mendip phenomenon  ;)). Include transportation cost of volunteers and kit from various other countries. Could well be a likely figure.

Maj
 
graham

graham

New member
Mrs Trellis said:
....and payable by the casualty.
Click to expand...

My FFS insurance would cover this, I believe. Surely any Brit caver abroad has taken out relevant insurance. What is the German national body's policy on this?
 
Maj

Maj

Active member
A post from back in may 2006 from Hoehlenforscher (http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=2089.0;nowap)

Perhaps you are interested in how it all works in Germany. As with the UK the Cave Rescue Organisations are charities and offer their services for free. However, all callouts MUST be accompanied byu the fire brigade and the police services who turn up en mass, erect a bloody great tent and sit round drinking tea and having a jolly while the CRO do their work. However, these service are NOT free. Similarly if the rescue should take place in Alpine caves and a rescue chopper would be needed then this would also cost. As far as the chopper rescue goes most cavers enjoy the benefits of being in the German Alpine club which covers helicopter rescue as part of the basic benefit of membership. The costs of the emergency services presence are not covered thoiugh and there was a big debate about 10 years ago with several cavers pushing for an insurance to cover these costs. Several companies were approahed to get premium quotes but there was a huge anti-insurance feeling from most cavers and it developed into a bit of a daft situation that got a bit political. In the end it was agreed that a "solidarity" fund would be set up. In effect all cavers were offered the cahnce to pay about £20 into a fund, held in an interest account, that could be used to cover costs in the event of a paid up caver needing to be rescued. Whatever costs were inccured could be met with the fund and it would then be topped up as and when needed by all and sundry should it be depleted. In ten years since I paid my contribution the fund has not been needed so it works out far better than insurance really. Will I mind paying again when someone else using up the pot to be rescued? Of course not, it might be me!
Hoehlenforscher.

Whether this is still the current situation or not I don't know  :confused:
Maj.
 
graham

graham

New member
Interesting post Maj, thanks.

I am reminded of a tale in, I think, one of Chris Bonnington's books about a rescue from the Eiger, sometime in the 1950s. Again, in such circumstances, the victim was responsible for the costs. On this occasion, as there was a high degree of public interest, it would have been possible for the guy to have sold his exclusive story to the press and covered it that way. However, some unscrupulous hack got at him when he was being brought off the mountain and at a time when the guy was still not thinking straight and 'interviewed' him. That story, extracted for free, was of course splashed as an exclusive itself, thus screwing the poor guy's chance of any recompense.

I'm sure that no British journos would act like that, oh no ... Sorry Lord Leveson, what was that?
 
Maj

Maj

Active member
I believe the German Cave Rescue Association is currently fundraising to help towards the rescue costs should Johann Westhauser not have insurance to cover all/any of the costs. Any surplus will be put into the association's general funds, I guess this may be the fund mentioned in Hoehlenforscher post quoted earlier. Donations can be made via PayPal, see:-

http://www.xn--stiftung-hhlenrettung-qec.de/index.html

Maj.

 
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