Record breaking day for Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team as temperatures soar

On June 25 saw Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team experience the busiest day since the team was formed in 1966, with four callouts within 12 hours. (Not including major incidents during flooding and adverse winter weather conditions).

Jonathan Cole, CVSRT Team Leader said, “As with all incidents, the casualty’s safety and efficient evacuation is paramount and I’m very proud of all CVSRT members who coped admirably with all four incidents and worked seamlessly with fellow mountain rescue team members and the statutory emergency services to achieve this. It’s worth remembering that we are a charity and all members are volunteers who drop what they are doing, whether at work or home, to help those in distress.

"Yesterday proved especially challenging given the intense heat and the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), that we need to wear to remain safe.”

“Certain factors make the task harder than it needs to be though. May we remind everyone to be more respectful to landowners, local residents and the countryside. Have the appropriate clothing and equipment with you for the terrain and keep the activity within your capabilities. We are also seeing many incidents where visitors are trespassing or parking cars irresponsibly, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to access the scene. Discarded alcohol cans, broken bottles and used BBQs littering beauty spots is becoming a huge problem. It is really sad to see the lack of respect from some people of all ages, although, as we see on the daily news, our region isn’t unique”

Mr Cole concluded, “Finally, I would like to thank all our team members who continue to turn out when asked, without question, no matter what time of day. Many thanks to their families and employers who support the team members and allow them the flexibility to respond at a moments notice. We’d be lost without everyone’s support”

Here’s a brief overview of the four incidents from Thursday 25th June.

Black Carr Wood, Pudsey.

At 13:33, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service to assist with the evacuation of a 31-year-old male who had fallen from a rope swing sustaining an open ankle fracture. Due to the location of the incident and anticipating a long stretcher carry, 12 members from CVSRT with additional members from Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team were deployed.

Once on-scene, team members administered pain relief before packaging and evacuating the casualty from the woodland to a farm track where the ambulance was waiting. Following decontamination of all equipment and personal kit, all members stood down and returned to bases.

As vehicles arrived back at their bases, CVSRT members were alerted to a second incident at Lumb Falls, Pecket Well and immediately deployed to scene.

Lumb Falls, Pecket Well

At 17:42, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service to assist with an incident involving a young female who had fallen on rocks sustaining a suspected back injury. Team vehicles deployed immediately and arrived on-scene within 23minutes, just as Helimed was landing.

Once the casualty had been assessed by a doctor and paramedics, she was immobilised in a vacuum mattress, packaged and stretchered by CVSRT members to the ambulance at a nearby farm.

Jail Hole, near Gaddings Dam

At 20:45, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service for assistance with the evacuation of a female who had sustained an ankle injury, following a fall on a footpath. Within the hour, the casualty had been located, packaged and evacuated to the ambulance at the road.

Wood Head, Denholme Gate Road (Hipperholme)

Just before midnight, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service for assistance with the evacuation of a young female who had fallen sustaining a suspected ankle fracture. First team members were on-scene within 19 minutes and within the hour the casualty had been packaged and stretchered a short distance to the ambulance at the road.