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CAVE-RESCUE IN CROATIA
Darko Bakšić,
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Dinko Novosel, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Summary:
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (CMRS) performs rescues from caves. The service
came into existence in 1950 as a part of the Croatian Mountaineering Association
due to need for saving victims in rugged terrains and mountain areas. Since June
2006, the Service has been legally recognised as a public need and its
activities have been defined by the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service Act.
Until founding of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the development of cave-rescue
was strictly connected to with the development of speleology. First known caving
rescue happened in 1925 in pit Rašpor which is located in Istria. Cave-rescue
actions during 50s and 60s were carried out by cavers together with the members
of Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. In 1968, Zagreb hosted the 1st Yugoslav
Congress on Cave-Rescue Activities. During 70s, cave-rescues are gradually
entering under the jurisdiction of Mountain Rescue Service and in the 80s it
completely enters its domain.
Rescue action at cave Veternica, 1983 Photo by: Marijan Čepelak
Due to the discovery of new pits in the area of North Velebit, new circumstances
appeared in the development of cave-rescue. First pit to be discovered was
Lukina jama (-1392 m) in 1992. Following this discovery, new pits have been
found in the area of North Velebit and also in Biokovo, such as Slovačka jama
(-1320 m), Velebita (-1026 m), Amfora (-788 m), Meduza (-679 m).
In 1997 in the pit called “Ledena jama u Lomskoj Dulibi” (-536 m) a severe
accident happened which impelled the Mountain Rescue Service to speed up with
the adjustment to the new challenges and specificities of deep pit rescuing.
During 1999, the first three rescuers were sent to attend training in France.
Today, 16 rescuers finished their training for cave-rescue team leader in
France. Cave-Rescue Commission was founded in 2001, as an integral part of the
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service and so far has held eight basic cave-rescue
courses, nine national drills, educated 196 rescuers and obtained modern rescue
equipment.
Analysis of cave rescue activities in Croatia has shown that the accidents
mostly occur in vertical caves – pits. The most common causes are falling off
the pit entrance, and falling of a larger stone. Large verticals are a kind of
challenge for cavers and for rescuers as well. Special feature of deep pits in
Croatia are large verticals, some of which are bigger than 500 m – in the pit
Patkov gušt (P 553 m) and in the pit Velebita (P 513 m).
Key words: Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (CMRS), development, verticals
Short history of cave-rescue in Croatia
Although ever since the founding of the Croatian Mountaineering Association in
1874 cave exploration started alongside with the mountaineering activities, this
period, before the beginning of World War 2 can be in general considered as less
active and without any major caving accidents.
First recorded caving accident in Croatia happened in 1925 in cave Rašpor in
Istria. People who organised the exploration were Italian cavers from Trieste
and some local people from the village Rašpor helped with the derigging of the
equipment. Heavy rain which created a flood rising during the derigging of the
equipment in a large vertical pit at the depth of 80 m swept away two local men,
brothers Blaž and Karlo Božić (non-cavers) to the bottom of the pit. Their
bodies were never found (Božić, 2003).
Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) was founded in January 4th 1950 as a part of the
Croatian Mountaineering Association (CMA) due to the need of rescuing injured
persons on rocks, in the mountains and other rugged terrains. Until the founding
of Mountain Rescue Service the development of cave-rescue in Croatia was
strictly connected to the activities of the Speleological Commitee of the
Croatian Mountaineering Association (SC CMA). During the 50s and the 60s of the
20th century, members of SC CMA and MRS performed cave-rescues together, but in
the 80s, the MRS gradually takes up a leading role in cave-rescues.
After the World War 2, interest for caving increased, so in the course of 1949
and 1950, new caving organisations were formed which initiated more intensive
speleological researches. Intensive researches and larger number of cavers
resulted with larger number of accidents. Thus, in 1959, in the middle Cerovačka
cave, one caver broke his leg. Rescue was performed by his fellow cavers.
MRS Zagreb, in cooperation with SC CMA, in 1967 organised the First Yugoslav
Seminar on Cave Rescues. 1971, in Jopićeva cave near Karlovac, under the
leadership of Jamarska reševalna služba Slovenije (JRS) the First Yugoslav
Congress on Cave-Rescues for cavers was held, followed by the formation of 30
cave-rescue members organised in Karlovac, under the jurisdiction of territorial
defence. The same year, MRS performed large cave-rescue action, using a winch in
the pit Podgračišće, on the island Brač where two cavers were rescued.
During the 70s, cave-rescue were performed by cavers and mountain rescuers and
during the 80s more and more cavers joined in the activities of MRS which
resulted with MRS taking the leading role in cave-rescues.
Exploration of deep pits started in the area of North Velebit and Biokovo at the
beginning of the 90s. Since that time, the deepest pits in Croatia have been
explored: Lukina jama (-1392 m), Slovačka jama (-1320 m), Velebita (-1026 m),
Amfora (-788 m), Meduza (-679 m), Patkov gušt (-553 m), Jama Olimp (-537 m),
Ledena jama u Lomskoj dulibi (-536 m), and Lubuška jama (-521 m).
The discovery of deep pits had a considerable effect on the development of
speleology, bit also on the development of cave-rescue. In MRS, in 1997 French
Cave Rescuer’s Manual was translated in Croatian, followed by a cave-rescue
seminar. Several weeks later, in the pit called Ledena jama, at the depth of 170
m, a caver was severely injured. This accident prompted MRS to be more active in
the organisation of cave-rescues. Members of MRS participated in the First
European Symposium on Cave Rescues held in Göppingen, Germany, in 1999.
Immediately after the Symposium, three of our rescuers participated in the
international training for the cave-rescue team leader in France, organised by
the Spéléo Secours Français (SSF).
Within MRS in January 11th 2001, Cave-Rescue Sub-Commission was founded, today
its full name is Cave-Rescue Commission of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
(CRC CMRS). Task of the Commission is to observe and adopt new techniques and
their implementation in the Service and the education of trainees. Since 2001,
the Commission has educated 196 trainees. Sixteen rescuers finished the course
held by Spéléo Secours Français (SSF) in France for the cave-rescue team leader,
two rescuers finished the SSF’s course on treating the injured in the caves and
four rescuers finished the cave-rescue course in cooperation with Jamarska
reševalna služba Slovenije (JRS). Six divers finished cave-diving courses held
by Technical Diving Units and Rescuing under the Ministry of Defence of the
Republic of Slovenia. The Commission holds on regular basis the national
trainings and instructor’s seminars. It has procured rescue and training
equipment and is performing equipment standardisation. Furthermore, it
cooperates with other related international organisations and has therefore
organised a seminar on cave-rescue in Sarajevo for fellow cavers in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Serbia.
Caving accidents in Croatia
Since 1959 till today in the territory
of Croatia 91 cave-rescue missions have been recorded. It is
important to notice that besides pits and caves these rescues
include potholes together with the artificial underground objects
such as wells and mines. Considering the type of object, most
accidents occurred in pits, in 59 % of cases. In 17 % percent of
cases, pits were searched through in search rescue missions. Largest
number of accidents, even 25 (or 32 %) ended with a fatality and in
most cases people concerned were non-cavers. Cause of such death
accidents in fourteen cases was falling into the pit, five of those
is suicide cases and three is drowning (out of which two were cave-divers
during sump dive) and in one case suffocation from poisonous gas in
a mine. Two cave-divers who were die were, as far as we know, the
only cavers who were die in caving accidents in Croatia.
If we now focus on the injuries, there is almost the same number of
severe and slight injuries. Some of the severe injuries include
fractured spine, multiple fractures and extremities fractures. At
the chart 1, we can notice the increasing trend of cave-rescues.
Therefore, from the year 2000 till 2009, 45 cave-rescue missions
have been recorded.
From total 91 rescue missions, in 78 of them, people were being
saved, and 31 were for animals. Accidents mostly happened to non-cavers
(in 57 % of cases), and half as much to cavers (in 22 % of cases).
Beside the fall and suicide, the most common causes of accidents are
fatigue and fall of a rock in a vertical. Unfortunately, causes of
large number of accidents remain unknown.
Number of cavers in Croatia, in the last decade, increased
considerably, so is the number of tourists visiting tourist caves
and taking adventure sport arrangements for visiting non-tourist
caves. Also the interest of foreign cavers for deep pits in Croatia
is also on the rise, therefore the increase of possible accidents
and rescue assignments is expected.
Rescue inside the pit Veternica, 1997 Photo: Damir Lacković
Special features of cave-rescue in Croatia
Today in Croatia we have over 9000
known caves. Large vertical drops located in the pits are
particularly interesting. 15 of those pits contain 16 large
verticals larger than 200 m (table 1 – u tablici ispraviti dubinu
Velebite na -1026 m). In some of the stated pits there are overhang
segments larger than 100 m and there are a large number of pits
containing 100 m verticals. When performing rescue, large verticals
are relatively simple to rig and the transportation of stretchers is
simple, but there are other problems. Having a large number of
rescuers in one vertical drop at the same time demands maximum
caution because knocking down of a single stone can have a
catastrophic consequence. Some of the above-mentioned verticals
contain permanent ice which precipitates when melting therefore
increases the risk of accident even during a rescue activity. In
large verticals a rescuer in counterweight system cannot be lowered
to the bottom thus anchors must be made beforehand in order to allow
a caver to attach him/herself when slacking rope.
Due to the echo the voice communication between rescuers is not
possible so a radio link must be used including laringophones of
telephones. Placing a telephone line requires placing rebelays for
telephone cable in order to avoid snapping due to its weight.
Unfortunately, in Croatia there are many caves in which various
explosive devices were thrown in during various war activities
throughout history which can be also considered as another special
feature. Caves are sometimes tombs of war victims so the Mountain
Rescue Service also participated in the extraction of human remains.
Cave-rescue in Croatia today
Among its members, CMRS has 45 rescuers who can perform rescues on all depths,
in very demanding caves and are skilled to lead complex cave-rescue missions. It
has another 150 rescuers trained to participate in complex cave-rescue missions.
All members of CMRS (448) are trained for performing rescues from less demanding
caves up to two hundred meters of depth.Besides cave training, all members of CMRS have regular training of winter and
summer rescue techniques and the basic training for helicopter added rescue.
This in fact means that all rescuers are qualified to approach pit in winter
conditions (cross country skiing) and to approach pit added by a helicopter (descending
from a hovering helicopter). CMRS uses cave-rescue techniques adopted from SSF,
but also used several techniques from CNSAS (Corpo nazionale Soccorso Alpino e
Speleologico), for the deep pit rescuing requirements in particular.
CMRS has three doctors who can assist victim at any depth in any type of cave.
It also has approximately 20 doctors qualified to approach victim in less
demanding caves up to the depth of two hundred meters. All rescuers are trained
to treat victim and to administer first aid (international trauma life support).
For now, in CMRS there are only six cave-divers which can perform rescues form
simpler and shorter sumps up to 100 m of depth. For more complex and demanding
rescue activities from submerged caves we would require a help from abroad.
Education, usage and storing of explosive devices for the needs of cave-rescue
in Croatia are still not regulated by law. Therefore CMRS has no licensed
experts for passage enlargements so this job is performed by rescuers accustomed
to use explosive devices. Drafting of the Cave Rescuing Manuel began and a
prototype of speleophone was constructed.
Since the activities of CMRS have been defined by the
Croatian Mountain Rescue
Service Act, since June 2006, we expect better
future development of this Service in the view of logistics and finances.
Literature:
1. Božić, V., 2003: Speleologija u Hrvatskoj, Hrvatski planinarski
savez i Hrvatsko planinarsko društvo Željezničar, Zagreb;
2. Speleološko spašavanje u HGSS, Zbor spašavatelja, Mosor 2006.
Darko Bakšić i Dinko Novosel;
3. 50 godina KS HPS, Poglavlje: Speleološka služba spašavanja, 2006.
Vlado Božić;
4. Razvoj speleologije na području regije Karlovac, 1983. Rudolf
Starić;
5. Arhiva Komisije za speleološko spašavanje HGSS;
6. Arhiva SO PDS Velebit, Zagreb;
7. Arhiva SO PD Dubovac, Karlovac;
8. Arhiva HGSS stanice Zagreb;
9. Arhiva HGSS stanice Karlovac;
10. Arhiva HGSS stanice Split;
11. Arhiva HGSS stanice Šibenik.
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