Brecon Beacons: Maternity leave doctor helped cave rescue

A doctor on maternity leave left her 17-week-old baby for the first time to help rescue an injured caver.

Rebecca Specht's family were due at a caving club social event when she got an alert saying that George Linnane, 38, was hurt after falling in a cave in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday.

It took 300 volunteers 54 hours to rescue Mr Linnane, from Bristol.

Dr Specht spent eight hours helping Mr Linnane before her husband, Morgan, a caving instructor, joined the rescue.

The couple, who live in Whitchurch, Cardiff, were among the first rescuers at Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system near Penwyllt, Powys, which is also the base of South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team.

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Dr Specht, a doctor with the rescue team, said: "All we knew from the alarm was that there was an incident in the cave system and a casualty."

Rebecca Specht was the first doctor on the scene of the cave rescue

Upon arrival, it was clear that she was the first doctor at the scene and the casualty had significant injuries, so she decided to go into the cave.

When she got to the stranded caver she was able to speak to him and see how significant his injuries were.

She spent eight hours underground from Saturday evening until about 02:00 GMT on Sunday morning, with her husband Morgan and their children Milo and Franklin in a camper van on site.

George Linnane was rescued from a cave underneath the Brecon Beacons after more than two days trapped inside

As it was the first time she left her son Franklin, she said there was "the added anxiety of leaving my baby behind for eight hours with no communication from above ground".

"It was worth doing in order to be able to help in this situation," she added.

Mr Specht, who has been a caving instructor since 2007, said he knew it was a "small crawl" and the rescue would take several days, having done the caving route himself.

He said he knew he had to do what he could "to make sure Rebecca could do what she needed to help the casualty".

He added: "She peered back through the van door at 02:00, then we swapped.

"I got kitted up and went down for 12 hours. I was working to help move the stretcher, we moved it around 500m."

More than 300 volunteers helped get George Linnane to safety

Dr Specht said she was there when Mr Linnane was pulled out of the cave, making sure medical information was handed over to paramedics taking him to hospital.

"It was a fantastic feeling, emotional and a real relief to see him out," she said.

She added it was "fantastic" to be part of the cave rescue team, as well the wider team of volunteers from groups from across the UK who came to help.

Mr Linnane is being treated at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, having broken a tibia, fibula, jaw, and suffered chest injuries.

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