The Gingling Hole Accident

N. C. F. C.

Perhaps the worst accident that has yet occurred in pot-holing, from the rescuers’ point of view, happened down Gingling Hole on Fountains Fell on the 13th October, 1934. The Moor & Fell, an infant Club from York, had made the journey to the final chamber, where Weetman, their Secretary, was unfortunate enough on the notoriously rotten scree slope up to the stalactite grotto to disturb a boulder, which crashed against his right leg fracturing it in two places.

Bendle of the Moor & Fell immediately came out for assistance, knowing that their own party of nine could not hope to drag the injured man out of such a difficult cavern as Gingling. (See Vol. 5 No 17, p. 215 for description). They had started in at about eleven o’clock on the Saturday morning, and the accident occurred between three and four in the afternoon. Knowing that the Northern Cavern & Fell Club, when in the district, generally meet at the Craven Arms, Giggleswick, Bendle immediately went down there for assistance. As luck would have it eight men were sitting down to dinner at seven o’clock, Downham, Thornber, Bancroft, King, Proctor, Bowen, Johnson, and Buckley.

One man was immediately despatched in search of a doctor, and the remainder hastily grabbed mouthfuls of food and changed into pot-holing rags at the same time. Within an hour the party was up at the shooters’ hut on Fountains Fell. It was a horrible night; blinding rain and dense fog had made it no easy matter to follow the Fountains Fell grass track. Coates, the Rainscar farmer, had arrived and he it was who made the whole rescue possible. He discovered the key to the hut, the fellows assisted him with the kindling of roaring fires, and general preparations were made for a prolonged siege. Downham of the Northern followed by Bowen and Johnson set off immediately to ascertain the extent of the damage. The wildness of the night and the dense fog made it an extremely difficult matter even to locate the pot, but eventually the party were sliding down the first ladder and making quick progress along the passages. There was a considerable amount of water, and the negotiation of the “manhole” which is the second pitch was decidedly uncomfortable. The Canal was as wet and repulsive as ever and the level fairly high, but with little delay the party arrived at the head of the last pitch and came upon the injured man with four of his fellows. Weetman had been placed on a ledge and efforts were being made to keep him warm. They had hauled him up the final pitch, utilising a camera tripod as a splint, but the excruciating agony he suffered was too much and he refused to move without better methods.

It was obvious that more efficient splints would have to be used, so Downham leaving the other men to work Weetman along if at all possible, came out immediately for a couple of boards and a six foot plank to strap the patient to. But it looked to be an almost hopeless task to drag an injured man out of such a tough pot as Gingling Hole, strapped, as he must be, to a plank. Anyone acquainted with the hole knows of the frightfully awkward pitches, and the fearfully and continuously constricted nature of its passages.

At the surface again, Dr O’Connor of Settle had arrived and very sportingly offered to attempt the descent. Considering that Dr O’Connor had never even previously seen a pot-hole, being a newcomer to the district, and had not the faintest idea of such an undertaking, to accept the offer was definitely unwise. Back at the shooters’ hut it was a distinct relief to find roaring fires, food and steaming bowls of tea. Two boards were obtained for splints and a six foot plank, from wood which Coates had had the foresight to bring up, and Buckley immediately went down with these,10 p.m. A “directors’ meeting” was held and it was decided that the rescue efforts should be worked as far as practicable in three hour shifts. Accordingly with the injections of morphia left by Dr O’Connor before his return to Settle, Bancroft and Proctor went in. Thornber and his car were despatched to Settle for blankets, etc. for the relieved men, and Downham and the men of the Moor & Fell Club returned with Coates to Rainscar in search of more blankets, food, clothes, etc. it was obvious that it would be many, many, hours before Weetman could be got out on the fell so these extensive preparations were not only wise but very necessary.

Returning fully laden with provisions, etc. and bundles of wonderfully dry and assorted clothes, it was rather a blow to find one man had turned definitely ill below after giving the first injection and had had all he could do to bring himself out. Downham, Thornber and King of the Northern followed by Proctor of the Moor & Fell went in and were soon down at the injured man, who was still at the same point, 1 a.m.

Then followed the ordeal of applying splints, undertaken mainly by Thornber, and sliding the patient on to the plank. It was a terrible effort for Weetman, but one he stuck amazingly well; the pain must have been intense.

Then followed the heart-breaking task of really moving him. The Moor & Fell in their attempt to circumvent the descent of the fourth pitch and the very difficult pitch below had adopted the route of a roof traverse and had dropped a ladder — some eighty feet in all — to the head of the last vertical. This meant the descent of a frightfully narrow fissure which was only just wide enough to allow a man to get through, and it was a terrible job pulling Weetman up this pitch. A couple of ropes were tied on, but the first attempt was a set-back, he jammed hopelessly, and had to be lowered again to the bottom. However, by a little constructive ingenuity on the part of all concerned the difficulty was overcome. A chock high up in the crack was used, and Downham by jamming himself in another part of the fissure at its widest point made another perfectly good chockstone for the other rope. By these methods a good straight pull was obtained and Weetman just came through in the widest part. It was very encouraging, but rather a ghastly experience to utilise a human belaying pin, but very soon Weetman was up in the roof traverse. This roof traverse was a ticklish business but he was carefully handled along and just before the finish, say 5 a.m., Bancroft, Buckley and Proctor, had come in again and the patient was kept moving well. Hereabouts Downham, who had suffered somewhat in the fissure and Bowen who had been down the whole time came out with the remaining Moor & Fell men. And so the rescue operations continued and the reliefs worked well in shifts.

The morning dawned fine and clear but bitterly cold, and by seven o’clock, although very fine progress was being made it was obvious that the terrific strain in the narrow passage was beginning to tell on all the rescuers. Accordingly Downham was driven down to Stainforth by Bendle, and Godfrey Wilson of Giggleswick School, who was unceremoniously dragged from his bed, promised three good men within an hour. Hainsworth of Ingleton came out immediately with a couple and Lord of Settle with another two. Thus adequate arrangements were quickly made and the expedition was assured of enough and efficient help. The gale had played havoc with the telephone and it was no easy matter to get through. Dr O’Connor was called out of his bed to the telephone and he expressed himself amazed that Weetman was still standing the exposure, but insisted that he simply must be brought out quickly, otherwise the matter would finish itself. Could we run down to Settle for fresh injections? And so down to Settle with a call at the Langcliffe quarry for a stretcher.

From Settle Bendle immediately returned with two of Lord’s men and Downham went into conference with the Doctor. O’Connor intimated his intention of attempting to get down to Weetman, and consider the possibility of giving chloroform, &c. It was a very fine offer on the Doctor’s part as he was quite definitely scared of the experience. And so the two hurried back to the fell with everything likely to be needed. Hainsworth and Co. had gone in at 9.15, and Lord’s party an hour later and the struggle in the narrows was proceeding.

The Doctor in between Thornber and Downham immediately went down; Parker had come up carrying more splints. It must have been a ghastly experience for the doctor, with all the horrors of the canal and the awkwardness of the pitches, and it was certainly one of the finest efforts possible. Just beyond the bottom of the short third pitch they came upon Weetman. O’Connor set to with his wonderful work, and actually succeeded in setting the leg and putting on plaster bandages in a passage not three feet high, lying on his side in the water. Only those who have been down Gingling Pot can appreciate the difficulties and the work which had been put in during the night. Chloroform was out of the question, the air current being too feeble, with the consequent danger of putting all the men to sleep.

Once the plaster was on his leg, Weetman was taken off the plank and then was able to assist his rescuers much better. It must have been a considerable relief to be free of the thin hard plank, but the method had worked well. The doctor was immediately brought out, much to his relief.

The reinforcements got Weetman to the pool at mid-day; next up the third pitch, then tackled the Canal. It seemed incredibly long — it is said to be eighty yards — the air was none too good, and the water was nearly waist deep. Progress was by inches, Weetman half reclining on people’s bodies and pushing himself along with his hands. The “manhole” next proved very awkward, the great difficulty being to protect the injured leg. The final struggle up the slope to the foot of the daylight pot-hole took some time. Very soon there was a great moment of relief and satisfaction for all concerned when Weetman was hauled up, and carried on the stretcher to the hut. Here he was stripped under the Doctor’s supervision, and wrapped in comforting warm blankets with hot water bottles. Thence he was carried through a sudden violent hailstorm to the waiting ambulance at Rough Close, 5.30 p.m.

In conclusion, one obtains the impression that all this sounds very weak when considering the efforts made by all the rescue party. No one, other than those men, realises just what terrific labour was involved, and it speaks much for the careful handling of the patient that the fractures did not complicate themselves at all. Weetman had borne the whole ghastly journey wonderfully well. They had gone into the pot at eleven o’clock on the Saturday morning, the smash had occurred at three o’clock in the afternoon, the Northern Cavern & Fell were informed by seven in the evening, the reinforcements had arrived on the Sunday morning, and Weetman was out on the fell before four o’clock on the Sunday afternoon. A remarkably fine effort. Tribute must be paid to Dr O’Connor for his very fine effort; to the Cavern & Fell for their organisation; the men of the Moor & Fell; for the quick response by Hainsworth and his men; Godfrey Wilson and his; Lord and his men; Coates the Rainscar farmer for his gesture in opening his house and its resources to the disposal of the party, and to Mrs. Robinson at the Craven Arms for providing food, clothes, restoratives in abundance. Captain Page Hutton-Croft afterwards wrote and expressed his satisfaction that full use had been made of his shooting-box. The whole expedition worked wonderfully well, with scarcely a hitch, and an accident that might have had very serious consequences was well pulled round.

Weetman has made an amazing recovery. A marvellous constitution surely — he hadn’t even a bad cold after such an ordeal, which certainly baffled the hospital authorities. O’Connor made such a grand job of setting the leg that the Skipton people didn’t even consider it necessary to take off the plaster at all.