Hodge Close 14th July 2013 00:47hrs (23/2013)

The weather was dry and the air quite still. Obviously it was dark, but we were well equipped with head torches.

A gentleman had been camping out in the cave at Hodge Close with a group of friends. Not long after midnight he had wandered too near the edge of one of the rocks which frequent the area above the lake at the bottom of the quarry. He slipped falling approx.50ft into the water. Fortunately the accident was  heard by a friend who was able to drag him to relative safety.

When the team arrived paramedics and the fire service were already at the top of the quarry waiting for us to find a safe route to gain access to the casualty. Lights had been set up  at the edge of the quarry. He was located below the cave suffering from severe head and chest injuries, although there was a possibility of other injuries. However due to the precarious position the gentleman was in ie. on a rough slate slope with part of him submerged, urgent evacuation was paramount. Whilst he was being treated,  ropes were used to secure both the casualty and the stretcher before he was lifted on to it. Paramedics had been lead to the scene by one of the team members via a safer route. Eventually we were able to carry him round the rocks, and then a vertical stretcher lift enabled by the use of a rope system, took him to the surface. It was an arduous carry through the tunnel before he was safely transported into the waiting ambulance.

The casualty was taken to Furness General Hospital.

11 team members were able to respond to this incident which took 3 hours.