Follow us on FacebookStores Social and Familiarisation, 16th February, 2024
An evening session was spent in the stores to help team members familiarise themselves with the layout and newer items of kit. Plus, test a range of cakes and biscuits.
Land Search Call-out, 5th February, 2024
On Monday 5th we were asked to support colleagues in SARA with a search in Gloucestershire. However, 90 minutes after receving the request and while team members were deploying the missing person was located by a Police search team and all volunteer team members were stood down.
Land Search Call-out, 19th January, 2024
On Friday 19th we were asked to support an ongoing missing person search in the Great Barr area of Birmingham that had started on 11th January. MCRO members joined land crews from SARA Wyre Forest & SARA Upton who had been deployed to assist West Midlands Police. West Mercia Search and Rescue (WMSAR), Warwickshire Search and Rescue & Leicestershire Search and Rescue were also in attendance on the Friday.
Shortly after deploying into their initial search area, the mixed SARA and MCRO search team alongside a colleague from WMSAR successfully managed to locate the missing person, who was reunited with their family. Cheshire Search and Rescue Team and Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team had also been in attendance on previous days.
Winter Training Day, 14th January, 2024
Once again our first training session of 2024 took place in the excellent facilities at Arco Professional Safety Services training centre in Eccleshall. See the Training page for a little more detail.
Stiperstones Dawdle or Dash, 26th December
Once again team members were by the Devil's Chair on the top of Stiperstones (Shropshire) on Boxing day supporting the organisers of the Annual "Dawdle or Dash" race by 'stamping' the runners as they arrived at the half-way point and providing refreshments (courtesy of the Stiperstones Inn and Shop) to runners and dawdlers. After repairs to the route up Perkins Beach, following the flood damage a few months earlier it still only took the first entrants about 12 minutes to cover the distance from the Stiperstones Inn to the Devil's Chair!
Dog Rescue near Shelve, Shropshire, December 12, 2023
On an extremely wet, dark winter evening the team were called out to rescue a dog that had fallen down open mine workings. Six team members attended the incident. Due to the remoteness of the site a local farmer kindly ferried us and our kit across fields to the mine site on top of the hill. On arrival it turned out the dog was down a nearby stope and not the deep shaft we initially thought (luckily!). After checking the debris of fallen branches around the top of the stope a safe route was found where 2 ropes could be rigged using large trees for belays – we had taken the ground anchors but they weren’t needed.
Two team members descended (about 25m) and found that the dog was uninjured, very placid and walking in short tunnel. She was placed in our large dog harness and hauled to surface, with a team member climbing alongside to act as a jockey/barrow-boy to guide it.
The dog was cold and wet (as we all were!) but very happy when it saw it's owners.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Open Day, September 2, 2023
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service are celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year, so we were honoured to be invited, along with other groups, to have a display at the Open Day at Shrewsbury Fire Station. We took along a 'tube' and squeeze box (courtesy of Dudley Caving Club) to provide some interest for the children (and adults!). It was amazing how many times some of them went through the tube and squeeze box before running round for another go. Although collecting stickers for crawling through might have had something to do with it!
It must make an impression on them, just after we set-up a young girl ran up to the display, all excited as she remembered us from previous events and wanted to be the first through the tube this year.
Grand Auction, July 15, 2023
A massive THANKS to everyone who worked so hard to set up the Grand Auction and Sale at the Gloucester Cave Rescue Group Depot, and to those who donated, bid, bought, ate & drank on the day. It was a fantastic team fundraising effort!
See the Fundraising page for pictures of sone of the auction items.
BCRC AGM Weekend April 15-16, 2023
This weekend, members of MCRO joined representatives of cave rescue teams across the UK for a weekend of training, discussion, socialising and on the 16th the British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) AGM in the beautiful Peak District at Buxton.
Sharing Knowledge, 5th March, 2023
It was all about sharing our knowledge this weekend. Our Chair & Training Co-ordinator provided an equipment inspection course to our team members and colleagues in the Severn Area Rescue Association at their Kidderminster depot.