PeteHall
Moderator
During maintenance work at a potable watet borehole in Shepton Mallet, a scaffolder dropped his impact driver into the water. There were concerns that the lithium ion battery could pollute the water supply and after unsuccessful attempts at magnet fishing, they got in touch with some local cavers they knew.
A message went out on a Mendip cavers Facebook group and the next day, Kev and I were looking down a 50m hole, ready for an unusual evening underground.
We'd brought SRT and diving kit, but they had managed to pump the well down to a depth of 1.6m, so it seemed diving kit would be redundant.
We sent a gas meter down first, then I put on my long-john wetsuit (opting to leave the jacket off) and headed down on SRT, with a hood and mask in my bag, just in case.
On reaching the water surface it became clear that 1.6m was the depth above the pumps, not the depth to the bottom... I plumbed it with a piece of lead on the end of my SRT rope and estimated a further 10m to the bottom, leaving me little choice but to return up the 50m back to surface and reorder my equipment for diving.
Meanwhile, Kev set about magnet fishing from just above the water, but only managed to retrieve a length of scaff tube...
Once I was kitted up, Kev returned half way up, to take a break in a side passage that had been dug unsuccessfully looking for water, while I descended alongside my diving cylinders that were cautiously lowered from the top. Once I was past him, Kev followed me down and helped me kit up in the water, observing that the magnet fishing had had a slightly detrimental effect on the previously crystal clear water.
After a bit of faff, I was off the rope, in the water. Redundant SRT items removed and slack rope tied out of the way above water. Diving kit on, tested and ready to descend.
Below the pumps, the viz immediately returned and the drill could be seen right next to the lead weight on bottom of my line, nestled in a cradle of rusty steel beams. No wonder the magnet hadn't managed to find it!
With the drill returned to a tackle bag above water, I made a second descent to have a look at two side Passages that I'd spotted, one at the base of the shaft and one about 4m below the waterline. Both were about 5-6m long blasted tunnels, that had been dug looking for water. The lower tunnel had clearly succeeded, as by the time I'd returned to dive base, my tackled bags were hanging underwater and Kev, who'd been several metres above the water had just got a welly full!
We joked about getting the beers sent down and waiting for the water to carry us back out, but agreed Kev would get a bit cold in a fury suit, so it was best to use the SRT rope instead.
With Kev part way up to steer it, the chaps at the top hauled out the bag of diving kit and we were soon back at the surface, de-rigging.
Mission accomplished.
We both had plenty of fun and the scaffolder was clearly very relieved and has pledged a donation to Mendip Cave Rescue in return for our efforts. A good result all around.
A message went out on a Mendip cavers Facebook group and the next day, Kev and I were looking down a 50m hole, ready for an unusual evening underground.
We'd brought SRT and diving kit, but they had managed to pump the well down to a depth of 1.6m, so it seemed diving kit would be redundant.
We sent a gas meter down first, then I put on my long-john wetsuit (opting to leave the jacket off) and headed down on SRT, with a hood and mask in my bag, just in case.
On reaching the water surface it became clear that 1.6m was the depth above the pumps, not the depth to the bottom... I plumbed it with a piece of lead on the end of my SRT rope and estimated a further 10m to the bottom, leaving me little choice but to return up the 50m back to surface and reorder my equipment for diving.
Meanwhile, Kev set about magnet fishing from just above the water, but only managed to retrieve a length of scaff tube...
Once I was kitted up, Kev returned half way up, to take a break in a side passage that had been dug unsuccessfully looking for water, while I descended alongside my diving cylinders that were cautiously lowered from the top. Once I was past him, Kev followed me down and helped me kit up in the water, observing that the magnet fishing had had a slightly detrimental effect on the previously crystal clear water.
After a bit of faff, I was off the rope, in the water. Redundant SRT items removed and slack rope tied out of the way above water. Diving kit on, tested and ready to descend.
Below the pumps, the viz immediately returned and the drill could be seen right next to the lead weight on bottom of my line, nestled in a cradle of rusty steel beams. No wonder the magnet hadn't managed to find it!
With the drill returned to a tackle bag above water, I made a second descent to have a look at two side Passages that I'd spotted, one at the base of the shaft and one about 4m below the waterline. Both were about 5-6m long blasted tunnels, that had been dug looking for water. The lower tunnel had clearly succeeded, as by the time I'd returned to dive base, my tackled bags were hanging underwater and Kev, who'd been several metres above the water had just got a welly full!
We joked about getting the beers sent down and waiting for the water to carry us back out, but agreed Kev would get a bit cold in a fury suit, so it was best to use the SRT rope instead.
With Kev part way up to steer it, the chaps at the top hauled out the bag of diving kit and we were soon back at the surface, de-rigging.
Mission accomplished.
We both had plenty of fun and the scaffolder was clearly very relieved and has pledged a donation to Mendip Cave Rescue in return for our efforts. A good result all around.
