In reply to Greasy Prusiks:
> I for one would be really interested in a video of how a rescue might unfold and what you can do to help should you be in/near a rescue. I've (thankfully) never been in a rescue but I reckon a rough idea of what the coastguard/mountain rescue want from you would be invaluable.
As a member of a CRT, What you should do if near a rescue:-
a) Don't get in the way
b) Speak to a non-busy member of the team (not the man in charge) offering help then get out of the way
c) do as you're told by the team
d) If you're being rescued, in good shape and uninjured the team just want you to do as you're told
e) If you're injured or in bad shape then the team will appreciate knowing what happened, and any underlying medical conditions (diabetic, allergies to drugs etc.)
The things a CRT would rather you really did are the most important things - prevention, and notification.
Prevention
1) Make sure you have self-rescue skills (hauling, escaping system, prusiking) and sufficient equipment
2) Headtorch as mentioned above
3) Helmets!
4) know the tides
5) If climbing in an unfamiliar area get in touch with a local first to sanity check your plans
6) climb with another team at the same crag - this makes life so much easier on many levels
7) Wear sensible clothing
Notification
Let someone know where you're going, and when you expect to be back safe in signal range. Do it in writing if they're unfamiliar with where you're going. Even if you tell your aged mum or non-climbing partner back home they can pass on the info to the authorities when you don't check in. Remember to tell them you're safe at the end of the day!
Imagine you say "I'm off to Cornwall climbing for the weekend" and have a disaster on the saturday morning - no-one will know until you fail to turn up for work on Monday, and Cornwall's a massive area to search by which time it's too late. If you send a text on your way to the crag on the saturday morning saying you're going to crag xyz and you'll be finished by 4pm for the day, the call to 999 will happen at 5pm and there's a higher chance of a better outcome.
If you leave a note on your dashboard that says 'climbing at xyz' someone will know you're away from it all day and break into your car. If you're leaving a note for a mate, then tuck it under your wiper so they can remove it when they've seen it.
What happens in a rescue:-
It's normally easier to evacuate a casualty by sea if it's calm enough - lots easier to lower / stretcher into an inshore rescue rib than haul out. If not, then it's a case of hauling out the casualty.
So, the CRT will need to rig a belay directly above the casualty (you may be able to help guide them here). They will then send down two members with a stretcher ('face team'), put the casualty on the stretcher, then haul out the stretcher whilst the face team ascend ropes accompanying it to help it over obstacles like overhangs. The belay for the system will be well back on safe ground to allow for a hauling system and safe manoeuvring of the stretcher at the top of the cliff. Rescuing trapped / stuck climbers will simply involve them getting a rope to the climber then hauling them out. Rescue strops are carried to put on stuck soloists.
As per Tor's comments above, climbers don't constitute CRTs' main 'clients'. It's normally suicides, cars found at the bottom of the cliff (potential suicides, but normally dumped), dogs, and scramblers/coasteerers caught by the tide that we deal with. Our team is part of the St.Johns Ambulance rescue services, in the other channel islands the fire brigade do cliff rescue. If in doubt call 999 and ask for coastguard, in many situations a boat will be involved as per Thor's comments.
This clip of our team on exercise should give you a flavour:-
http://www.itv.com/news/channel/2016-08-16/st-john-cliff-rescue-team-workin...
Post edited at 10:25