Cave Search & Rescue

Photo by: Jim Goodbar

Cave Search & Rescue

Safety Requirements

Human-Related Causes

Environmental Causes

Developing General Plans

Developing Specific Plans

Safety Requirements

UIAA helmet Three sources of light Sturdy boots Gloves and knee pads Food and water Proper clothing Surface Watch 3-4 cavers Experience adequate

Getting lost: Some cave passages involve a multitude of junctions and possible travel routes that can confuse and inexperienced caver. If lost, it is best to remain in one place. If this is not possible, carry a watch and paper and leave notes with the time as you travel to help an arriving search team.

Prevention: It is always best to have a cave map and include at least one member of the caving party who is familiar with the cave. Foodstuff, strings, etc., left as a trail can attract animals and may not remain in place.

Human-Related Causes

Getting Stuck: In most cases, an individual can get out of any passage that they can get into. Problems occur when gravity or apprehension become a factor in the situation. Calming the person down and/or removing some of their clothing can alleviate most situations.

Prevention: Be very cautious when entering tight areas that slope downward or have a keyhole shape. Enter downward sloping passages feet first.

Hypothermia: Proper clothing should be worn when entering a cave. Hypothermia can become a problem when water is encountered or when the group moves too slowly. It is wise to carry spare clothing.

Dehydration: Dehydration can lead to many other complications, including hypothermia. Sometimes trips can run longer than expected. Carry enough food and water to last longer than the trip’s expected duration.

Darkness: Caves are dark. Backup lights should always be carried. Carry enough light to last longer than the trip’s expected duration.

Rockfall and

Flash Flood

Rockfall is usually the result of caver activity. To avoid injury, cavers should move carefully, and should always wear an approved helmet and stay out from under others who may be climbing a rock or a rope. Natural rockfall occurs most frequently near entrances where weather rates are higher.

A Flash Flood can be caused by rainfall near or far from a cave. Individuals should not enter caves that are known to flood or those that appear to serve as drainage for large areas if rainfall is expected.

Bad Air The most common problem

associated with bad air in caves is the buildup of CO2 caused by rotting vegetation. Cavers should be able to recognize the effects of elevated CO2 concentrations and must immediately leave the affected area.

Gas leaks can settle in caves

Experience Adequate?

Caves are natural features, which require a high level of attention to safety.

Due to the wide variety of terrain found within caves, experience is necessary for assessing the requirements of individual situations. In most cases, unsafe situations can be avoided by enforcing good safety policies and insisting on qualified trip leaders. Trip-leader criteria should be established and training provided or required.

Cave Search and Rescue

Cave search and rescue activities and tactics should be outlined in the SAR Plan, as an appendix to the Emergency Operations Plan.

It should address protection of cave

resources to the extent possible

The plan should identify internal employees with cave expertise and training in cave rescue

The plan should address the interaction with other agencies and cave rescue groups

SAR Pre-Planning Goals

Organize personnel and equipment for urgent incidents.Organize personnel and equipment for urgent incidents.

Establish specific plan for initial response.Establish specific plan for initial response.

Make it simple enough that it can be used in times of crisis by multiple Make it simple enough that it can be used in times of crisis by multiple people.people.

Make it easily accessible to key people Make it easily accessible to key people cave specialists, managers, and dispatcherscave specialists, managers, and dispatchers

General Planning Cave rescue logisticsCave rescue logistics

InternalInternal Regional agenciesRegional agencies Regional NCRC CoordinatorRegional NCRC Coordinator

Medical pre-planMedical pre-plan List of local medics who have List of local medics who have

cavecavetraining/expertise.training/expertise.

Initial response plan:Initial response plan: Guides Incident Commander Guides Incident Commander

how to respond and who to how to respond and who to initially involve. initially involve.

First part of every cave rescue.First part of every cave rescue.

Photo by Jim Goodbar

General Planning

Forms Forms Dispatcher Cave SAR questionnaireDispatcher Cave SAR questionnaire Overdue caver questionnaireOverdue caver questionnaire Lost caver questionnaireLost caver questionnaire Injured caver questionnaireInjured caver questionnaire Rescue team debriefing sheet Rescue team debriefing sheet Rescue personnel tracking formsRescue personnel tracking forms Master copies of cave-specific formsMaster copies of cave-specific forms

Practice and train:Practice and train: Mock-rescue Mock-rescuetraining is good preparationtraining is good preparation

Cave-Specific Planning AccessAccess

GPS coordinates of caveGPS coordinates of cave Descriptions and maps of how to get to the caveDescriptions and maps of how to get to the cave GPS coordinates of closest possible helicopter landing zoneGPS coordinates of closest possible helicopter landing zone Vehicle requirementsVehicle requirements Basic information given to caving partiesBasic information given to caving parties Cave gate combination informationCave gate combination information

Unique situationsUnique situations Map and narrative of hazards and obstacles and how to handle Map and narrative of hazards and obstacles and how to handle

themthem Minimum equipment list for extrication scenariosMinimum equipment list for extrication scenarios Rigging directions and diagramsRigging directions and diagrams

PersonnelPersonnel List people with cave-specific experienceList people with cave-specific experience List cave conditions and how they effect rescuersList cave conditions and how they effect rescuers

Generic Cave Search Pre-Plan Pre-plan -Pre-plan - Be prepared. Know the hazards and Be prepared. Know the hazards and

resources.resources. Interview - Interview - Information must be gatheredInformation must be gathered

Contact surface watch or other knowledgeable partiesContact surface watch or other knowledgeable parties Initial Response PlanInitial Response Plan

Call Out - Call Out - Trained help should be enlisted. Evaluate the Trained help should be enlisted. Evaluate the urgency of the situation. Determine the size and type of urgency of the situation. Determine the size and type of initial response required. It is critical to wait for initial response required. It is critical to wait for experienced personnel to arrive rather than send experienced personnel to arrive rather than send inexperienced people into a cave rescue situation.inexperienced people into a cave rescue situation.

Establish the Search Area - Establish the Search Area - In a cave incident, the In a cave incident, the entire cave and the surrounding area may be considered entire cave and the surrounding area may be considered in the early stages.in the early stages.

Hasty Search – Hasty Search – To begin active search, quickly check To begin active search, quickly check out the most likely places first. Check the obvious, look out the most likely places first. Check the obvious, look for clues, report conditions.for clues, report conditions.

Generic Cave Search Pre-Plan Confinement and Attraction - Confinement and Attraction - Know if the Know if the

subject leaves the search areasubject leaves the search area Guard entrancesGuard entrances Check vehiclesCheck vehicles Maintain accurate personnel logs. Maintain accurate personnel logs. Place lights with notes or other attractions at key cave Place lights with notes or other attractions at key cave

intersections.intersections. Concentrated Search- Concentrated Search- Search passages in Search passages in

order of priority. Allows for maximum search of order of priority. Allows for maximum search of cave with the available cavers in the fastest timecave with the available cavers in the fastest time

Wide search -Wide search - In complex cave systems this In complex cave systems this process could take a huge number of people an process could take a huge number of people an incredible amount of timeincredible amount of time

Generic Cave Search Pre-Plan

Rescue or Suspension - Rescue or Suspension - The goal is finding the The goal is finding the person or determining that they are not within person or determining that they are not within the search area. the search area. If not located the options are: expand the search area or If not located the options are: expand the search area or

scale back the operation scale back the operation The decision to scale back is a management decision The decision to scale back is a management decision

and should be carefully documentedand should be carefully documented

After Action Review - After Action Review - Identify the problem Identify the problem areas and the efficiencies; what worked and what areas and the efficiencies; what worked and what did not. How can the cave search be improved or did not. How can the cave search be improved or prevented the next time?prevented the next time?

Modified from 2001, 2004, R. Kerbo, 2007 R. Kerbo –J. Goodbar PresentationsPhotos by: R. Kerbo, J. Goodbar