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PostPosted: Sep 2, 2007 2:51 pm
by Colin NZ
The bedroll would have been the approx 1/4 of a bedroll each they carry to sit on at lunch time and in case they get stuck. The blankets would have been to foil variety. With a carbide lamp underneath they are quite warm.
Artcile is reasonably accurate.

PostPosted: Sep 2, 2007 5:41 pm
by NZcaver
Colin NZ wrote:The bedroll would have been the approx 1/4 of a bedroll each they carry to sit on at lunch time and in case they get stuck. The blankets would have been to foil variety. With a carbide lamp underneath they are quite warm.
Artcile is reasonably accurate.

Of course. :doh:

I've often carried both those items caving myself - I should have known.

Thanks!

PostPosted: Sep 23, 2007 6:25 pm
by pete_the_caver
just noticed the comment about wireless communications. It just so happens that there is a set of Heyphones stored at the Waitomo cave rescue depot. The problem is that when I was home in NZ a few months ago no one could be bothered to learn how to use them. They couldn't even work out that the reason they didn't work was because they had flat batteries (you can't charge 12V batteries with a 6V charger).

But getting back to wireless communication... Recently Swedish cave rescuers have been using fairly standard two-way radios with built in repeaters to relay wireless communications underground. And I heard today at the BCRA conference (Hidden Earth) that Spanish cavers may even have an underground repeater system that allows the use of cell phones!!!!

PostPosted: Sep 23, 2007 6:31 pm
by Colin NZ
The Heyphones were tried out at the Bulmer SAREX. I believe they did not work very well in that environment.
Also - to have been of use in this event they needed to be in Nelson/Mot. By the time the Waitomo cavers were in Nelson the Michie phone wire was most of the way to the patient

Interview with NZ rescuer

PostPosted: Oct 1, 2007 4:59 pm
by cavedoc
At this site there is a link to an interview between Jeff Lehman, of San Bernardino County (CA) Cave Rescue Team and Steve Kesler, formerly of San Bernardino but now in New Zealand who was involved in the rescue. He has talks about some interesting differences between cave SAR in the USA v. NZ.

http://www.sbsar.org/joomla/index.php?o ... &Itemid=75

PostPosted: Oct 1, 2007 7:40 pm
by NZcaver
:kewl: Excellent, thanks for the link Roger!

Cave rescue 'army' honoured

PostPosted: Apr 15, 2008 12:50 am
by NZcaver
Cave rescue `army' honoured
Nelson | Friday, 11 April 2008

The army of 98 rescuers who battled for 2 1/2 days to drag a severely injured doctor from a cave beneath Takaka Hill have been honoured for their efforts.

Motueka GP Michael Brewer suffered concussion, cracked ribs and a broken pelvis while caving in the Green Link-Middle Earth cave system in August last year.

The huge effort to save him, dubbed Operation Brewer, drew cavers from as far as Auckland and Invercargill.

Last night, members of the team were recognised at Parliament, becoming the first recipients of the New Zealand Search and Rescue Certificate of Achievement.


Full story here

Re: Extensive rescue operation under way in New Zealand cave

PostPosted: Apr 15, 2008 11:17 am
by Cheryl Jones
:kewl: :clap: :clap: