Cave rescuers test skills for real during Taraka Hill exercise

Participants taking part in a Deep Cave Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) on Taraka Hill near Motueka tested their skills for real at 1:46am this morning when a participant was injured while helping lift a stretcher with a make believe patient.

The caver fell a short distance and injured his left lower leg.

He was assisted to the cave’s entrance by other members of the cave rescue team and then flown to Nelson Hospital by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter at 07:00am.

This accident provided a real life scenario for the cave rescue teams to use their training and expertise.

The exercise has now concluded and participants are exiting the cave system.

Nelson Bays Police, NZ Cave Search and Rescue, and Land Search and Rescue were all taking part in the exercise that started yesterday and was scheduled to run until Monday 29th Feb.

The National Deep Cave Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) on the Takaka Hill takes place every three years and involves about 70 cavers and support staff from around New Zealand.

This year, the exercise management team was presented with a scenario involving 2 cavers who had not returned from an expedition in the Green Link and Swiss Maid cave system.

The Green Link and Swiss Maid cave system is a deep and technical system that provides rescuers with a challenging environment including abseils, tight passages and cold stream systems to work through.

Search teams had to locate the missing party in the cave, deal with any medical issues and then safely extract them to the surface.

A new communication system from the cave to the surface is being trialed.

This system, “Cave Link” transmits a low frequency signal through the rock.

The cavers had to live and camp in the cave for the duration of the exercise.

ENDS

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