John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank, Jude Vanderplank and Barry Weaver. John took in a new drag tray and haul lines for the bottom tunnel. Whilst setting it up Jude passed John a message to say Barry had fallen and could John retrieve the bottom ladder and bring it up Four-Tonne Shaft. Did so. Found that the bottom section of ladder on the bottom part of Nut Pitch had broken and Barry had fallen about 3-4m, fortunately without serious injury. Jude climbed up the SRT rope and attached the broken section of ladder upside down then continued on up. Adrian then followed and Nigel’s spare rope was hauled up to use as a lifeline on the ladder pitches. John was then lifeline up the bottom part. Adrian and John hauled up the bottom ladder on Nut Pitch but could not undo the maillon so removed the broken section and left the rest coiled. John carried out the ladder from the bottom and the broken section. Jude and John then returned with a spanner and removed the broken ladder as it no longer reached the bottom. The ladders on Hazel Pitch and the top part of Nut Pitch were left in situ. Still don’t know what effect the bang had at the bottom! 2 hours. John.
John
Cooper, Barry Weaver, Jude & Myself. Usual suspects
were making their way to the very bottom to start clearing bang debris with
Jude down via rope and John Cooper via ladder. Barry was next down via ladder
and as I was about to descend the rope I heard the noise that no one like to
hear – the sound of someone falling. I called down to ask Barry if he was
alright and he said he didn’t know. I abseiled down & found that Barry had
fallen about 3-4 metres. I gave him a quick check over, nothing broken, no
obvious injuries. So I went to get Jude & John. Once we were all together
we decided to knock the session on the head and Barry was lifelined up the
pitches and out, with Jude & John going back in to retrieve the broken
ladder. It was the bottom extension ladder that had broken, possibly because it
had been in a long time and was only 3mm on that section. Barry had an X-ray
the next day, no broken bones just some bad bruising. Adrian.