Incident report

Buxton Mountain Rescue Team called to rendezvous at the Roaches, near Upper Hulme in Staffordshire to assist climbers.

An incident had occurred on the lower tier whereby a 38 year old male rock climber from Shrewton, Wiltshire, was injured when a large rock slab on which he had been climbing was dislodged.  The climber was on the classic VS 4b, 4c, 39 metre route known as Valkyrie when the slab, about the size of a single mattress, came off and struck his arm and head.

Thankfully, the climber had been wearing a helmet which undoubtedly saved a severe head injury, however the fall did leave him incapacitated with an upper arm injury. After stabilisation and pain relief injected by team first-aiders the casualty was lowered off the crag using a well practiced rope rescue system. The casualty was then carried from the climbing area by rescue team members and transferred to a waiting Staffordshire ambulance.

The rescue team was grateful for the assistance of other climbers in the area and for the support offered by Satffordshire Fire & Rescue Service which also attended. 

Photos, top to bottom:  Casualty is secured on a ledge for initial treatment.     Casualty & rescuer lowered to the ground.    Team members reassess injuries before transporting him to a waiting ambulance. The offending slab.