I went out this weekend with a couple of friends to Dinas rock near Glyneath in South Wales.
Dinas Rock is a well know outdoor pursuits site famous for gorge walking ,climbing and mine exploration.There are a few places where you can spend the night without being disturbed (with permission).
I arrived at about 14:00 and met up with Taff ,Simon and Barry who had been there most of the day climbing and abseiling.
The plan was to walk up the gorge to our pitch for the night and Taff and Simon were to go off mine exploring,Barry was only there for the day.
We followed the footpath to "the cascade" which is a waterfall that you have to climb up to get to the "overhang" which is a large cliff overhanging the gorge and then onto "3 mines which is close to where we were going to stay.
As we approached 3 mines we came across a casualty from the gorge walking.
A young girl had been shown how to jump from the bridge into the water along with the rest of the group,unfortunately she had broken her leg.
She had walked down to the bridge via the footpath this is a descent of 20-25 feet and then a jump of 20 feet into the water.
The instructor had sent the rest of the party back to the car park,a climb and descent of about 200 feet and a wlk of about half a mile.He sent them back to get help while he remained with the casualty.
When we arrived he had dragged the casualty from the water and dragged her up to the footpath where he applied his only bandage to her ankle.He had no other first aid kit or any means of contacting help.
He had sat the casualty on a bouyancy aid and was trying to force her legs into a bothy bag.She was wearing a wet suit and a pair of trainers which were both soaking wet and she was already in shock.
I had my pack with me(too lazy to walk up without it and then go back down for it later)So had my FAK and everything for a comfortable night out.I took of my jacket (fleece and waterproof) and stopped the instructor doing any more damage by sending him off with Taffs mobile phone to get the emergency services involved.I put my jacket around the casualty to give her some warmth and prevent further heat loss.The other members of our party also gave their jackets to cover her completely.She had been out of the water for 20 minutes as was trembling and passing in and out of conciousness? .She was getting deeper and deeper into shock and exposure .I kept her talking a managed to stabilise her to the point where she was fully concious?.
Mean time Taff,Simon and Barry were dealing with the instructor and the emergency services.
Typically in Wales it started to rain,I got out my tarp and covered the casualty with it so she wouldn't get wet .
Soon the air ambulance arrived and landed on the level ground 200 feet above us and came down to take over.
The police arrived and did their bit ,the mountain rescue were called as the casualty was at the bottom of a gorge and would need to be carried out to the helicopter.
The air medic examined the casualty and decided that she needed to be in hospital ASAP and called for a sea king to airlift her to the hospital.The sea king arrived shortly after and a winchman was lowered lowered down and the sea king left to hover elsewhere.He spoke to the airmedic and agreed with his decision.Seconds later the sea king was back and lowered a stretcher basket.The medics loaded the casualty into the basket and breifed us on what to do.
We took the casualty to the pick up point 50yds away and retreated as the sea king returned to collect the casualty.
It was at this point the instructor returned,he had been back to the carpark to get dry and have a change of clothes(yes he had left the casualty as she was no longer his responsibility because someone else had taken over.......Me).
I was furious that he had taken a group out gorge walking without a FAK and no way of contacting help and then washed his hands of the whole incident.
He had only returned to collect his bothy bag!!!!
We walked to the top of the gorge carrying the airmedics kit for him and were suitably impressed with where the helicopter had landed,I would have thought twice about parking a car there.
Mountain rescue had jusr arrived,but were to late to be of assistance.Apparently they were called an hour after the sea king.The air medic said if we hadn't arrived and done what we had the casualty was in real danger of dying from shock and exposure,as it was when she left in the sea king she was in deep shock and hyperthemic with exposure.
She's not the first to be in deep shock after meeting me.:yikes:
Anyway we made our way down to the carpark and got the other lads kit.We made camp in a nice spot next to the river and had a cracking supper and a good old moan about no good instructors.
One of the most varied nights out I've had lately.
Dinas Rock is a well know outdoor pursuits site famous for gorge walking ,climbing and mine exploration.There are a few places where you can spend the night without being disturbed (with permission).
I arrived at about 14:00 and met up with Taff ,Simon and Barry who had been there most of the day climbing and abseiling.
The plan was to walk up the gorge to our pitch for the night and Taff and Simon were to go off mine exploring,Barry was only there for the day.
We followed the footpath to "the cascade" which is a waterfall that you have to climb up to get to the "overhang" which is a large cliff overhanging the gorge and then onto "3 mines which is close to where we were going to stay.
As we approached 3 mines we came across a casualty from the gorge walking.
A young girl had been shown how to jump from the bridge into the water along with the rest of the group,unfortunately she had broken her leg.
She had walked down to the bridge via the footpath this is a descent of 20-25 feet and then a jump of 20 feet into the water.
The instructor had sent the rest of the party back to the car park,a climb and descent of about 200 feet and a wlk of about half a mile.He sent them back to get help while he remained with the casualty.
When we arrived he had dragged the casualty from the water and dragged her up to the footpath where he applied his only bandage to her ankle.He had no other first aid kit or any means of contacting help.
He had sat the casualty on a bouyancy aid and was trying to force her legs into a bothy bag.She was wearing a wet suit and a pair of trainers which were both soaking wet and she was already in shock.
I had my pack with me(too lazy to walk up without it and then go back down for it later)So had my FAK and everything for a comfortable night out.I took of my jacket (fleece and waterproof) and stopped the instructor doing any more damage by sending him off with Taffs mobile phone to get the emergency services involved.I put my jacket around the casualty to give her some warmth and prevent further heat loss.The other members of our party also gave their jackets to cover her completely.She had been out of the water for 20 minutes as was trembling and passing in and out of conciousness? .She was getting deeper and deeper into shock and exposure .I kept her talking a managed to stabilise her to the point where she was fully concious?.
Mean time Taff,Simon and Barry were dealing with the instructor and the emergency services.
Typically in Wales it started to rain,I got out my tarp and covered the casualty with it so she wouldn't get wet .
Soon the air ambulance arrived and landed on the level ground 200 feet above us and came down to take over.
The police arrived and did their bit ,the mountain rescue were called as the casualty was at the bottom of a gorge and would need to be carried out to the helicopter.
The air medic examined the casualty and decided that she needed to be in hospital ASAP and called for a sea king to airlift her to the hospital.The sea king arrived shortly after and a winchman was lowered lowered down and the sea king left to hover elsewhere.He spoke to the airmedic and agreed with his decision.Seconds later the sea king was back and lowered a stretcher basket.The medics loaded the casualty into the basket and breifed us on what to do.
We took the casualty to the pick up point 50yds away and retreated as the sea king returned to collect the casualty.
It was at this point the instructor returned,he had been back to the carpark to get dry and have a change of clothes(yes he had left the casualty as she was no longer his responsibility because someone else had taken over.......Me).
I was furious that he had taken a group out gorge walking without a FAK and no way of contacting help and then washed his hands of the whole incident.
He had only returned to collect his bothy bag!!!!
We walked to the top of the gorge carrying the airmedics kit for him and were suitably impressed with where the helicopter had landed,I would have thought twice about parking a car there.
Mountain rescue had jusr arrived,but were to late to be of assistance.Apparently they were called an hour after the sea king.The air medic said if we hadn't arrived and done what we had the casualty was in real danger of dying from shock and exposure,as it was when she left in the sea king she was in deep shock and hyperthemic with exposure.
She's not the first to be in deep shock after meeting me.:yikes:
Anyway we made our way down to the carpark and got the other lads kit.We made camp in a nice spot next to the river and had a cracking supper and a good old moan about no good instructors.
One of the most varied nights out I've had lately.
