
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 21, 1994                   TAG: 9408120019
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DAMASCUS                                 LENGTH: Medium

CAVERS CONVERGE TO LEARN SAFETY

Backbone Rock's jutting cliffs stand stoic as rescuers use nylon ropes to gently lower a stretcher more than 70 feet to a waiting ambulance.

The recovery operation requires strength, courage, medical knowledge and patience - skills as diverse as the backgrounds of the 200 cave explorers from around the globe who have converged on Southwest Virginia to test and enhance their abilities.

The scenario Tuesday was part of an annual weeklong cave rescue seminar sponsored by the National Cave Rescue Commission of the National Speleological Society. The seminar is the largest of its kind in the United States, said instructor Harold Chrimes, 42, of Roanoke County.

Chrimes, a firefighter and paramedic who began caving in 1979, said the students range from emergency professionals to amateur cavers who want to make sure their hobby is as safe as possible and to be prepared if something unexpected happens.

``In the process of doing caving for a hobby, you sometimes get caught up in a rescue if someone you're caving with gets in trouble and you're the closest person in the area,'' Chrimes said. ``We stress safety, because if a rescuer gets hurt, then you've got to call out another team to take care of them in addition to reaching the initial victim.''

There is a growing need for rescuers trained for operations in confined spaces, caves, cliffs and other remote locations, Chrimes said. ``More people are getting out and doing rappelling and rock climbing and other back-to-nature type sports, so there are more accidents.''

By using techniques learned during the seminar, cavers might be able to prevent an accident from happening in the first place, and if it does, they may be able to quickly rescue a friend when time can mean the difference between life and death, he said.

By the end of the week, the participants, who come from as far away as Austria, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, will have received 80 hours of instruction. Courses included classroom work and practical exercises at cliff sites such as Backbone Rock, as well as area caves, crevices and waterways.

by CNB