Posted by Ian E-N on July 18, 2002 at 08:51:20 from 148.88.0.10 user IanEN.
In Reply to: Re: Mines - surface versus deep posted by Prue Eckett on July 17, 2002 at 21:10:25:
I especially enjoyed the one in Coniston village as it brought back
some good memories of my magical stay there last year.
Coppermine Holiday Cottages have a Coniston Village Webcam
- they say they're soon to also have a view of Coniston Old Man.
Some of them bring up one or two more questions though, especially:
has anyone fallen down or been lost in the ventilation shafts? I can
imagine a sheep or two lured there by tufts of grass just on the edge,
but what about humans?
guess so, because there is now the Cumbria Ore Mine Rescue Unit
And if not, what sort of rescue efforts or groups would have been
involved if there had been a fall there between the wars?
In the Yorkshire Dales there's Cave Rescue Organisation which was originally formed in 1935.
Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society (CATMHS, or CAT for short) may know
if something similar then in the Lakes, but I reckon it would have been somewhat as described on the marvellous
"History" link page of the Langdale/Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team's excellent site :-
"Mountain rescue in the Lakeland fells has been going on for many decades,
in fact ever since people started disappearing into the hills and not
coming back. Records exist in the form of taped interviews with people who
played their part in rescues as early as 1930. "
In those days, local St John's Ambulance Brigades played a large part in
organised rescue, but these brigades only existed in towns. The rescue of
people in the remoter areas was carried out by farmers, shepherds and
anyone else in the vicinity who had the time to spare. Equipment was
minimal, and there are many tales of searches taking place under appalling
weather conditions where the rescuers themselves were at serious risk
from inadequate clothing and having to use anything to hand to try to
effect evacuation of badly injured victims to safety. Tales of using 5-bar
gates as stretchers are not all invented! "
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team was founded in 1947
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team was founded in 1953
Penrith Mountain Rescue Team was founded in 1959