Major rescue for 17 photographers missing underground in north Wales
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A major rescue operation was mounted for a group of 17 photographers who went missing undergound in north Wales.
Concerned relatives rang police after the snappers failed to return home to Wallasey on the Wirral after an adventurous trip underground near Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue Team was called out shortly after midnight today, and was joined by the North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation in the search for the group, from a photography forum in the Liverpool and Wallasey area.
The photographers’ families raised the alarm when they were eight hours overdue.
Police officers from North Wales also joined the operation at Rhosydd Quarry, and the group’s vehicles were found at Tanygrisiau.
Bad weather prevented a Sea King search and rescue helicopter from RAF Valley on Anglesey joining the search.
An Aberglaslyn MRT spokesperson said: “’Luckily, the group was located safe and well upon arriving back at their vehicles, with no injuries to any of the group at having been underground over 14 hours.
“The group had severely misjudged the length of the route, which coupled with the large numbers and it being the first trip underground for a large percentage of the group, made progress difficult for them.”
The rescue operation ended at 3.30am.
The former slate mine closed in 1948 after more than 100 years of production
Wasnt you then ;-) and wasnt me either, a great trip but such a large group would be a nightmare.
Hell no, I'm so out of shape its unbelievable! Last thing I did was the holy grail of mines, and that nearly killed me.
Its all a storm in a teacup really. From what I gather the group started two hours later than planned. And one of the group gave an incorrect time to his missus because he was under the thumb and not allowed underground such a long time, and she panicked when they didn't report in.
I know at least two in the group, very competent and easily skilled to manage the trip.
It was a group from 28dayslater forum. One of them is a member of this forum (not me). I was reading about the fiasco on there.
Myself and TC explored that mine in june but we didnt do the round trip. it was bad enough only spending 2 hours down there. The threads in the ue section.
Yikes, just seen this and have to say that we were wildly over ambitious in our expectations about getting through the Creosor to Rhosydd through trip inside 12 hours with 14 people. Although our backup call was made as arranged we were all about safety and that consumed even more of our precious time, we didnt go underground in flipflops and bermuda shorts as has been suggested by some our only mistake was time management. we have made a collection for the rescue services who were prepared to carry out a rescue if we had needed it and we are very very grateful.
here is some video of the trip if anyone wants to see it, it is long but shows that we were prepared.
our only mistake was time management.
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