Emergency Personnel & Firefighter Responders Begin Cave Rescue Training (Posted by Ginger Smith)
On Saturday, February 4th , local volunteer firefighters and other emergency personnel ventured into Cushman Blowing Cave during a cave rescue training exercise.
Led by the Nomads, a local team of experienced cavers, members of the Cushman, Ruddell Hill, and Bethesda fire departments got a glimpse of the extreme difficulties of a cave rescue operation. These volunteers endured a two mile round trip through some of the toughest and most dangerous cave conditions Independence County has to offer. Traversing precarious rock breakdowns, shoulder-tight crawls, and chest deep waterways, the group came to the realization of how problematic such a rescue would be.
Assistant Chief of the Cushman VFD, Rickie White, recalls his worry felt during the most recent caving incident back in August 2016, when three ASU students were lost in Blowing Cave. “After that incident, I knew that it was important for our local emergency personnel and cavers to form a team capable of responding to future cave rescue situations,” he said.
This exercise served as a prerequisite for an introductory course that will be taught by instructors from the National Cave Rescue Commission later this month. Before embarking on a caving trip, please contact the local C.O.B.R.A. Grotto at Lyon College or the National Speleological Society for guidelines on safe and responsible caving.
