Unfortunate dog...

[Long Drop]

A sad outcome but a good effort from SMWCRT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-41997892

 

[mudman]

Have you seem the comments on the SMWCRT post? Getting/has become a bit daft.

 

[rhychydwr1]

Website is here:

http://www.smwcrt.org/j32/index.php/newsmainmenu/217-incident-report-on-dog-rescue-near-blaina

Forget sending caver down.  Lower a bundle of barbed wire.  That will trap the little bu**er 

 

[Wayland Smith]

What a disgusting bad taste reply from the usual suspect!  :spank:

 

[RobinGriffiths]

Is this something to do with coal mining or a tectonic rift of some sort?

 

[Rhys]

Most likely a natural slip rift. The top of the mountain is attempting to slide into the valley and cracks open up. There's loads of them on that mountain and others in the south Wales valleys. Probably nothing to do with mining or earthquakes.

 

[mudman]

Yes there's loads up on that mountain and they've caught a lot of unwary dogs overt the years.  GCRT used to be called out often for them. With variable results.

 

[Rhys]

I've been down several on the mountains above the Rhondda (successfully) rescuing dogs with the team before. It can be pretty unpleasant.

Regarding Rhychydwr's comment above; there seems to be a persistent opinion held among some older cavers that lowering down barbed wire to catch either the fleece of a sheep or a long haired dog is a viable means of rescuing an animal from one of these holes. I've always dismissed the idea as being unlikely to succeed and just cause un-measurable suffering! I've never successfully managed remote snaring and we always ended up having to send someone down to physically grab the dog.

 

[RobinGriffiths]

I see what you mean. Loads visible on google maps.

 

[Martin Laverty]

RobinGriffiths: This article seems relevant - The origin of fault scarps & fissures on moorland plateaux & in the vicinity of landslides, in the South Wales Coalfield, UK - http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/10992/

Should open fissures be logged in the Cambrian cave Registry, I wonder? Does anyone have any data?

 

[RichardB1983]

Surely one of the questions you have to ask is why (if I've read it correctly) it was more than 24 hours before the cave rescue team was officially called out? Is this a case of the professional Fire & Rescue team not knowing or not trusting the capabilities of the volunteer cave rescuers until it was perhaps too late?

 

[Rhys]

Should open fissures be logged in the Cambrian cave Registry, I wonder? Does anyone have any data?

I get the feeling that they can be quite transient features; opening up and then vegetating over within a couple of years. Could be an intersting study for somebody!

 

[Traveler]

The rescue team are getting some very nasty and hurtful comments on their FB page from members of the public, the girl that went down the rift put herself into a very nasty position to try and reach the dog, but no sign of the dog could be seen, sad outcome but thats how it ends sometimes, 99.9999999999% works and sometimes just sometimes it doesn't, well done and I know you put every last effort in to help her

 

[mudman]

The adhoc comments from the SMWCRT and the odd member aren't helping things I'm afraid. With this sort of emotive issue you have to be very,  very careful of what you say in public as it is so easy to be misinterpreted by people that have no experience of caving and who's only experience of a trip underground is to drive through the the Brynglas tunnels.
The last comment was:

Food was left for her, but unfortunately she was unable to move.

With that statement you have just said that she was alive. And by leaving food it will mean to some that she will remain alive for a bit longer and that another rescue attempt could be made.
It may be time to contact all the team members and tell them to not contribute to any posts and then to put out a very carefully worded statement that is aimed at the general animal loving public who think it is easy to slip down a slot no bigger than their sock drawer or to remove 20 odd feet of solid rock.