A hybrid Executive committee meeting of South and Mid-Wales Cave Rescue Team (SMWCRT) in Llanidloes was the first formal opportunity for BCRC Chairman Peter Dennis to thank Gary Mitchell for his service as BCRC Assistant Chairman from 2018 to 2025.Peter presented Gary with a Certificate of Appreciation and acknowledged his tremendous support for cave rescue nationally during this period.
Gary’s portfolio included engagement with Mountain Rescue England and Wales, especially the chairs of MR Regional Associations, to strengthen that essential relationship. He applied his considerable experience in handling the media so that BCRC could navigate unprecedented press attention during the Thai cave rescue in 2018 and the heightened prominence of cave rescue in the public domain since. Gary travelled with Mike Clayton (Equipment Officer) out to Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, with very little notice, to support the cave divers when they needed to focus fully on the technically challenging rescue operation in Tham Luang cave following the successful search for the Moo Pa youth football team and coach. None of us could possibly have anticipated that our roles in BCRC to co-ordinate and represent cave rescue across Britain and Ireland would ever have extended to an event of such global magnitude!
Gary stepped down as Assistant Chairman at the BCRC AGM on 6th April but could not attend that meeting. Gary remains a Rescue Warden and Executive committee member of SMWCRT.
