V4 Cave rescue practice in Poland

Between 28.10.2015 and 30.10.2015 was hold a cave-rescuer meeting  in Zakopane, Poland. Beside the organiser local rescue organisation (Tatrzańskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe - TOPR) took part the Czech, the Slovakian and the Hungarian cave rescuers (the “V4 countries”), altogether 25 people.

Our accomodation was in the rescue basis of TOPR. That is a 4 staged building in Zakopane, which is also an operative centre, an equipment store and a preparation basis at the same time. In the underground store there is a great amount of rescue equipment, which is completely changed at least in every two years.

In the base level is the operative centre, here is a mountainy rescuer group waiting for the alarm round-the clock. At a few hundred meter distance from here there is a helicopter base, where two helicopters are ready to be used for rescue. In the Tatra-hills there are 1500-2000 accidents yearly, most of them are ski-accidents, and avalanches.

Report about the Klemenskov Pekel international cave rescue training

Slovenia, 9-15 October, 2015.

As a member of the ECRA international organisation The Hungarian Cave Rescue Organisation was invited to the training. Almost all Slovenan cave rescuers, 3 Hungarian, 5 Serbian, 5 Bosnian and 1 person from Montenegro participated on the program. Alltogether 60 person were present.

The training was really excellent, the host organisation proved to be well-equipped, disciplined and exemplary also in logistical areas.

After arriving on Friday evening, greeting old friends, the real program began on Saturday Morning at 7 with wake up. The cave for the simulated rescuing consisted a 270 m deep vertical after that a 300 m long horizontal part. It was divided into 9 parts, each of them had its own group with a leader person. This information was absolutely clear in the rescue plan, which was visible at the leader tent on a table.

Deadly accident in the cave of Csengő, Slovakia

The Hungarian Cave Rescue Service received a call out on the 6th of November, 2015, Friday afternoon that an accident happened in Csengő pothole (Bell-cave) lying in Slovakia Plešivecká plateau (near Roznava). Three Hungarian individuals (industrial alpinists, who did not have the technical qualifications for vertical caving) descended into the cave without official permit and not under organized circumstances. They allegedly wanted to spend more days in the cave.

The pothole starts with a large, hundred-meter deep vertical shaft, where a larger ledge can be found at-60 meters. The bottom of the cave is a vast, fragmented gallery.

Descending, Mr. B.G. (36 years old) went first, installing the ropes in the cave. Halfway through the shaft on the ledge (supposedly due to saving some rope) he did not install a belay line and walked through the ledge without any belay.

Cave Rescue Exercise in Királyerdő (Transilvania - Romania) supported by the National Cooperation Fund (NEA) Hungary

Hungarian Cave Rescue has broad international connections and regional cooperation is an important part of it. This created the framework for a joint cave rescue exercise held in the region of Királyerdő (Munții Pădurea Craiului - Romania), in the Páfrányos cave (Pestera cu Ferigi) between the 16th and the 18th of October, 2015. The exercise was conducted with Serviciul Judetean Salvamont - Salvaspeo Bihor and Hungarian Cave Rescue participating.

From Hungary, the Bakony Cave Rescue was represented by 2 persons, while the North-Hungarian Cave Rescue was represented by 1 person, as both services were invited to the event. The exercise, as a project, was financed by a tender of the National Cooperation Fund 2015.

Sometimes real-life accidents create circumstances, where cave rescue services are faced with challenges that are best dealt with in international cooperation.

Dislocated shoulder in Ferenc-hegy-cave

On the evening of September 08, 2015, a small group visited the Ferenc-hegyi-cave (click here for more information about the cave), opens near Törökvészi road at Budapest, II. district. The group had a permission, the leader was an experienced cave explorer. They were half-hour from the entrance in the so-called ’Mixer’ room about 30 m (ten floors) deep. During a climb in a narrow crevice - after a wrong move – he suffered a shoulder injury.

While climbing he reached back during the descend, he dislocated his right shoulder. After the accident the leader put him in safety, insulated with foil against hypothermia and fixed the limb. After first aid, he rushed to the surface and alerted the Cave Rescue Service (BMSz).

Siklóernyős mentés Pásztó közelében

2015. július 11-én szombaton délután 2 órakor L. László siklóernyős a Pásztó település mellett lévő Nyikom starthelytől északra sikertelen leszállás során fára szállt le az Ördög-ároknál. László a fennakadt ernyőével kb. 15 méter magasan lógott egy cseresznyefán. Először a barátnőjével beszélt telefonon, aki egy másik, a starthelyen tartózkodó siklóernyőstől (János) kért segítséget.

Mivel a fennakadt ernyősnek nem volt GPS-e, először egy alkalmazást kellett letöltenie, amivel meg tudta adni a pozícióját. János egy helyi quadossal felderítette, hogy hol lógott László. Négy óra előtt 10 perccel kaptam a riasztást telefonon Adamkó Pétertől, majd köteleket, csigát, motorfűrészt és ágvágót raktam össze és felvettem Pataki Dénest.