Que passa a la Texa?

Fa dies que ja mostràvem la nostra estranyesa per un “rescat” de dos companys anglesos del OUCC que no arribaven a la corda ja que l’anterior espeleòleg no va vigilar que arribés al terra.

Esperàvem trobar explicació directa dels propis espeleòlegs a través de la pagina del grup, perquè cap d’ells no va fer l’esforç de recular en veure que no sortien?.

En aquesta espera, resulta que han tornat a demanar auxili als grups de rescats. Si, si novament a la Texa, els dos mateixos i altres dos més, tampoc sortien a l’hora convinguda. Mobilitzats els rescatadors, troben els quatre “accidentats” novament sans i estalvis, sense cap dificultat més que la fatiga pròpia de l’exploració d’una cavitat com aquesta.


Com es que tornen a demanar auxili? No estaven prou “escaldats” de l’anterior retard com per pensar-ho molt abans de reclamar l’assistència de l’espeleo-socors? Que passa amb aquesta nova fornada d’estudiants-espeleòlegs d’Oxford?

Malauradament en aquesta època en que tant es parla de que caldria cobrar el rescats en actuacions imprudents, aquestes intervencions aparentment injustificades, o que denoten falta de preparació / previsió de l’equip explorador, donen arguments per dificultar la nostra práctica....i que això ho provoqui un grup amb l’experiència i qualitat de l’OUCC es difícilment comprensible. Necessitem la versió dels “rescatats” per entendre aquesta situació.

De moment reproduïm la versió publicada a la premsa anglesa (Telegraph.co.uk 11.08.09) i adjuntem un article de la campanya de la SIE del 1998 publicat a Subterrànea.

"Oxford students rescued twice from Spanish caves
Students from Oxford University have had to be rescued twice during an expedition to chart unexplored caves in northern Spain. By Fiona Govan in Madrid Published: 7:28PM BST 03 Aug 2009

Spanish Civil Guards members as they rescue one of the four unidentified British speleologists (C) lost in a chasm of Picos de Europa mountain range in Asturias, northern Spain Photo: EPA
Four member of the Oxford University Cave Club spent a night trapped in an underground crevice after they were stranded more than 100 yards underground when their passage to the surface flooded after heavy rain at the weekend.
The three men and a woman, aged between 23 and 29, were exploring caves in the Picos de Europa mountain range along Spain's north coast on the Bay of Biscay.
The alarm was raised by colleagues when they failed to emerge at the scheduled hour on Saturday night.
The group finally saw daylight at around 11 am on Sunday after the flood subsided and a mountain rescue team went to their aid.
It was the second rescue in a week for some members of the group who were part of an annual expedition organised by the university club to chart unexplored caves in the Western Massif region of Asturias.
Nick Edwards, 23, the expedition leader and an experienced caver, was rescued last Wednesday when he and fellow team member Rosa Clements, 26, were stranded underground after a climbing rope leading to the surface was accidentally left out of reach.
Mr Edwards faced the same team of rescuers four days later when he was among the group forced to spend a night below ground.
"This time it was a question of bad luck," explained Jonay Perez of the Civil Guard mountain rescue based in Cangas de Onis. "While they were exploring the caves a lot of rain fell and the water level rose blocking the way back to the surface."
"We had to wait for the flood to subside before we could get them out but apart from being tired the cavers seemed unaffected by the ordeal," he said.
"Any rescue attempt from the caves is a huge undertaking requiring co-operation between local police, the fire brigade, mountain rescue, paramedics and helicopter service. We all have to be on hand because you never know what situation you will find when you reach them."
Andy Wright, 29, one of those rescued, insisted their experience had not deterred them from their expedition. "We were not in any danger," he said. "As rescues go, this one was very boring."
The six-week expedition which began a month ago aimed to explore the underground labyrinth known as Asopladeru La Texa, which is thought to reach depths of more than 3,280 feet.
The Oxford University Cave Club, which has been exploring the region for four decades, planned to use the 2009 trip to photograph and document newly discovered underground areas of outstanding natural beauty for conservation purposes. "