After returning from Guatemala we were rewarded with 2 days rest at Barton Creek. In this time we all said a sad goodbye to Colin who was leaving but also welcomed a new member to the team, Pippa the Medic.
Once rested, we set off to meet Marcos and begin our rescue training. The training started with a recap of the knots we would use but very quickly moved on to some rope work and systems.
We learnt how to ascend and descend ropes and how to set up hauling and lowering systems both for patients and ourselves using mechanical advantage.
After we completed these lessons we were taught how package a patient for carrying and for movement with the systems. Our initial training was finished off with some lessons on improvised stretchers, splints and traction splints. With this information we were ready to begin our scenarios.
During this time we had a lot of fun around camp including our first botfly encounter. While Peter managed to escape hosting a single pet, Myles needed 2 removed and Ralph found that he had grand total of 7 that required extermination, including a pair of twins! The removal procedure tested our new medic, but Pippa rose to the challenge and after some pain and discomfort most were destroyed. One of Myles' was so keen to leave him that it shot out of its home almost hitting Pete on the face while he was bent over waiting with the tweezers.
Our first scenario consisted of a simple climbing and belaying system on a rock face overlooking the Sibune River. We all abseiled successfully and moved onto our swift water scenarios. We made a floating stretcher which Pete perilously tested, practiced rescue swimming techniques and finished the day with an extraction simulation involving hauling our casualty, jade, up a cliff and then lowering her into the water. On returning to camp we were told that the cave rescue scenario planned for the next day would not go ahead due to hurricane damage and so went to sleep expecting an easy day. However, at 2 am we were awoken Jade and told that a surprise scenario was now in play starting immediately in a different cave.
Our last scenario started at 4 am by packing jade into a stretcher. We then spent the next 3 hours maneuvering her through a tunnel only Just wide enough for the stretcher. Once this was completed we were faced with a cave river to cross and a long carry to the cave exit. Our last challenge involved extracting jade from the exit which was high above ground by using a high wire zip line. After 8 hours we finally had the casualty out of the cave and the scenario was complete. We (and jade who had spent all the time strapped Onto the stretcher in tiny spaces) deserved some food and were rewarded with a Belizean picnic. However, there is no rest for the wicked so we quickly packed up and left for Barton Creek to begin our wilderness medical training.
