RESCUE CALL TO ROWTEN
On 8th May, 1939, a Leeds Cave Club party laddered Rowten Pot as one pitch, 235 ft., the longest ladder climb in Yorkshire, as Gaping Gill can be divided into two, and put down five men and an inexperienced girl, leaving Mr. Waller at the top—that is, they did not use the Bridge, 70 ft. down.
On the return about 3 p.m. Mr. J. H. Lambert led up, had some slack on the life-line so that he could get on to the Bridge, slipped and fell. The line ran through Mr. Waller’s hands till they were in a terrible state and Lambert was not killed though badly hurt. One man, Sheard, I believe, made a gallant climb out and ran for assistance, while a fierce, quite local, thunderstorm burst on Rowten Pot.
Two wardens of the C.R.O., G. Wilson and N. Thornber with Bloom and Wheel of Giggleswick School came up about 4.30 with the hammock stretcher, and tremendous efforts were made to rescue the five below with the help of the many who gathered. Realizing the difficulties Thornber had left almost at once to seek further aid.
It was found impossible to divert the water. Mr. Wilson went down through the flood and reached the ledge 40 ft. from the bottom, where Mr. Burgess (Leeds Pennine Club) joined him and Kenyon. Burgess went on and found the frightful conditions had forced the others into the bypass of the next fifty foot pitch, a tricky traverse, leaving Lambert unconscious in the only dry corner. While momentarily unwatched he had moved and fallen.
When the stretcher came down the girl was strapped in. At the end of an hour (remember the conditions, the ropes were biting two feet into the earth) it was hauled up, fouled the ladder, and it was long before Lord and Mitchell found her in the great mass landed on the Bridge, 7.30.
Mr. Wilson was in a terribly exhausted condition when helped up. In the end as the flood ran off all had been brought out about midnight. Great lamps provided by the police rendered valuable assistance.
A general call seems to have been issued, received by the Y.R.C. about ten. At 11 p.m. Davis Burrow, Matheson, F. and H. Booth, Hilton and C. E. Burrow, H. and F. Stembridge left Leeds, while Gowing and Sale left Billingham.
Four of them had been out carrying to and working in Nick Pot.
After a necessary halt at Settle Police Station, the dramatic night drive went on to Kingsdale, and between i and 2 a.m. the rescue parties were found on the Kingsdale road, having suspended operations. The Y.R.C. at once began work, the ladders were reset, their own ropes used, the easy way to the Bridge opened, and on a glorious morning Fred Booth started down. Hilton was on the main floor, while Booth with Messrs. Fell and Procter, friends of Mr. Lambert, went round the bypass and found him drowned in the pool below. One account says, all out by six,—another, begin work 3.15 a.m. ; Booth leaves the Bridge, 4.15 a.m. ; all out 6.50 a.m.
The Y.R.C. men are loud in praise of the grand work done by the Wardens. As long foreseen it is only late on Sunday night that they can expect on a serious job the arrival of powerful expert parties.
Cave Rescue Organization.’—In case of accident the Wardens, Messrs. Hainsworth, Lord, Thornber and Wilson, are called on by the Police to advise action to be taken. Since our last number they had to search for some Bradford pot-holers in 1938, who were found cut off in Penygent Long Churn, and their own club was called out. In 1943 a tent and overalls were standing unused by Alum Pot, Long Churn passages were searched at midnight, and later Hainsworth and Thornber descended Alum Pot in vain.
On several occasions the Wardens have been caused anxiety, e.g. a B.S.A. party on an appalling day were cut off in Disappointment Pot. They must not be expected nowadays to lead parties underground.
Deliberate popularisation of the game has caused the pot-holes to be held cheap, 200 to 300 people taken down Gaping Gill ! The old view was that a serious pot-hole was the equivalent of an Alpine expedition. Nature will strike unexpectedly and with tremendous power. Now the A.G. accident foreshadows the horrors of a winter rescue call.