UWFRA
Member
Call Out #49 – Thursday 2nd October, 2025 - Dowber Gill Passage
For 36 hours over one hundred volunteers were involved in a difficult rescue of three cavers from Dowber Gill passage. The team would like to thank everyone who turned out to help, especially cavers and surface personnel from the Cave Rescue Organisation,
Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team, Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service, Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team and the extended cavers list. It was a fantastic team effort as cavers turned out in appalling conditions to rescue fellow cavers.
The team was called out by the North Yorkshire Police on Thursday 2nd at 9pm to respond to a report of three experienced cavers who had entered Dowber Gill passage via Providence Pot to attempt a traverse to Dow Cave and were now overdue.
Given the scale of the the task UWFRA contacted neighbouring caving teams to ask for assistance. Surface communications were quickly established as team members entered the cave from both entrances to commence a search for the missing cavers. At approximately 2.30am on Friday morning the missing cavers were finally located below the high level traverses on the approach to the 60’ Rift, towards the Dow Cave end of the system. Unfortunately, by the time the party was found the good weather, that had been forecast during their trip, had passed and heavy rain on the surface had caused the water levels to rise blocking the easiest exit. The only option was to retrace their steps and exit via Providence Pot.
Whilst the search for the cavers was still ongoing, team members on the surface had to endure appalling conditions to maintain communications with the underground teams via cave link a sophisticated text messaging system that can carry messages through solid rock. Driving conditions to Hag Dyke were becoming increasingly difficult as cavers and equipment were transported up to the cave entrance in the team's 4x4 vehicles.
The underground teams now worked in relays to bring the tired cavers back towards the Providence Pot entrance as the exit via Dowber Gill junction in to Dow cave was now flooded. As the beck at Providence Pot entrance was rising alarmingly team members laboured to construct a dam and used plastic sheeting to carry the flood water past the cave entrance.
At 3.30pm the first missing caver was brought out of the cave and transported back to Kettlewell. The remaining two cavers were still being moved slowly out of the system by 6pm they had reached Bridge Cavern but rising water levels were making the traverses difficult. The cavers reached Stalagmite corner at 11.30pm on Friday evening. The cavers now split in to two separate groups and the second missing caver was finally brought to the surface at 2.30am on Saturday morning.
The third missing caver was moving more slowly but with a lot of help finally made it to the surface at 4.30am and was stretchered to the warmth of Hag Dyke before being transported down to Kettlewell at 5.40am for onward transport to hospital in a road ambulance.
The team was finally stood down at 7.45am leaving only a mountain of wet equipment to dry out and sort ready for the next call out.
We would again like to thank all the volunteers who turned out in appalling conditions to assist in this long and difficult rescue. We would also like to express our gratitude to the NYFRS Welfare van and wardens at Hag Dyke for the use of their building as a forward base, it was described by many team members as a life saver in those conditions.
Lastly, we would like to wish the three missing cavers a speedy recovery from their ordeal and hope it hasn't put them off caving
For 36 hours over one hundred volunteers were involved in a difficult rescue of three cavers from Dowber Gill passage. The team would like to thank everyone who turned out to help, especially cavers and surface personnel from the Cave Rescue Organisation,
Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team, Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation, Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service, Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team and the extended cavers list. It was a fantastic team effort as cavers turned out in appalling conditions to rescue fellow cavers.
The team was called out by the North Yorkshire Police on Thursday 2nd at 9pm to respond to a report of three experienced cavers who had entered Dowber Gill passage via Providence Pot to attempt a traverse to Dow Cave and were now overdue.
Given the scale of the the task UWFRA contacted neighbouring caving teams to ask for assistance. Surface communications were quickly established as team members entered the cave from both entrances to commence a search for the missing cavers. At approximately 2.30am on Friday morning the missing cavers were finally located below the high level traverses on the approach to the 60’ Rift, towards the Dow Cave end of the system. Unfortunately, by the time the party was found the good weather, that had been forecast during their trip, had passed and heavy rain on the surface had caused the water levels to rise blocking the easiest exit. The only option was to retrace their steps and exit via Providence Pot.
Whilst the search for the cavers was still ongoing, team members on the surface had to endure appalling conditions to maintain communications with the underground teams via cave link a sophisticated text messaging system that can carry messages through solid rock. Driving conditions to Hag Dyke were becoming increasingly difficult as cavers and equipment were transported up to the cave entrance in the team's 4x4 vehicles.
The underground teams now worked in relays to bring the tired cavers back towards the Providence Pot entrance as the exit via Dowber Gill junction in to Dow cave was now flooded. As the beck at Providence Pot entrance was rising alarmingly team members laboured to construct a dam and used plastic sheeting to carry the flood water past the cave entrance.
At 3.30pm the first missing caver was brought out of the cave and transported back to Kettlewell. The remaining two cavers were still being moved slowly out of the system by 6pm they had reached Bridge Cavern but rising water levels were making the traverses difficult. The cavers reached Stalagmite corner at 11.30pm on Friday evening. The cavers now split in to two separate groups and the second missing caver was finally brought to the surface at 2.30am on Saturday morning.
The third missing caver was moving more slowly but with a lot of help finally made it to the surface at 4.30am and was stretchered to the warmth of Hag Dyke before being transported down to Kettlewell at 5.40am for onward transport to hospital in a road ambulance.
The team was finally stood down at 7.45am leaving only a mountain of wet equipment to dry out and sort ready for the next call out.
We would again like to thank all the volunteers who turned out in appalling conditions to assist in this long and difficult rescue. We would also like to express our gratitude to the NYFRS Welfare van and wardens at Hag Dyke for the use of their building as a forward base, it was described by many team members as a life saver in those conditions.
Lastly, we would like to wish the three missing cavers a speedy recovery from their ordeal and hope it hasn't put them off caving
