Advising young people to be careful whilst exploring.

[Dirus_Strictus]

Sadly it seems this hobby may have claimed the life of a third young teenage in the Leeds area. We see fantastic images of roof top scenes, but these are all taken by very experienced climbers/explorers. I am not talking about giving instructions on getting up the structure/building - just a 'Take care, access to the top is dangerous'. Recovering adult bodies, broken or mangled in a fall/accident is difficult enough for the Rescue Services, recovering and informing relatives of young accident victims is far more so for many of these personnel.

I doubt many will agree with me, but I was 'taught' to climb tall structures in my youth by an adult - practical, hands on experience. With this media there are tantalising images from all over the place and a 'go it alone' ethos prevails - nothing wrong in that, times change. However, if one has a chance to pass on a small 'take care message' I feel one should do it. Just might save a young persons life.

 

[Priority 7]

I echo your sentiments chap, too many times I have seen or heard of people doing things that seems just a little too reckless. I have always preached risk versus reward and stick to it, nothing in this life is worth gambling your life on. I certainly wouldn't climb something unless I felt 110% safe doing it and in many cases were under the instruction of someone far more knowledgeable than myself.
Be safe people.

 

[mockingbird]

The hobby has got popular and more and more young ones are climbing things for a thrill/likes/videos I advised someone not long ago who wanted to go down a drain hole not to sure he was about 15/16 but he just wanted to go down for his YouTube subscribers, I did ask if he was alone he said yeah but I warned him none the less, unsure if he ever went back but he had no knowledge of anything below just about a ladder. So I agree completely a heads up to many who want to climb, go underground ect

 

[Gromr]

Your absolutely right there. Unfortunately kids and teenagers tend follow the path of more experienced people and could very easily end up getting themselves very badly hurt or killed.

My biggest fear of this is at my local exploring hotspot, Fullers Earthworks in Redhill. Something like 8 levels of rusty metal walkways plus regular visits from large groups of kids (including some I've seen as young as 12!) mean that it's almost inevitable that something tragic will happen eventually.

Fall hazards are by far the most dangerous aspect of this 'hobby'. Even I've done some things that on later reflection I shouldn't have even thought about doing.

Taking big risks in the name of Youtube view with little to no prior experience is the age we live in now. The challenge is educating the younger people as best you can.

 

[krela]

Couldn't agree more. No idea why you think people would disagree with you!

Unfortunately kids will always be kids, curious and clueless. All we can do is repeatedly highlight the dangers and hope they take notice!

 

[Sean of Wales]

Good thinking, I know this is a dangerous hobby as it is but there's still limits you need to set and stand back and think no I shouldn't be doing this. I hate heights enough as it is!

 

[ReverendJT]

Totally agree with this particularly with the point about Fullers, there were a couple of groups of 13ish year old girls who came running past me while I was cowering on about level 2 who were doing ridiculously sketchy things I wouldn't even consider. I told them to be careful but it fell on deaf ears.

I've sought security during explores when coming across kids, I personally feel we have a responsibility to do so when things seem unsafe, but there are none to be seen at Fullers.

 

[krela]

Where the hell are their parents, that's the obvious question.

 

[smiler]

You've are all correct, and as MB pointed out kids now are keen to impress their YouTube followers, so take on explores they aren't equipped or experienced enough to undertake, when our local brewery closed it was a sodding magnet for the kids, we were damned lucky not to have a fatality, I was harassing our councillors to get its perimeter fenced, talked to schools and youth clubs, even gave guided unofficial tour's of the site.
It didn't work, kids still broke through the fence to have a nose about, Fair Play though, it's what I would have done at there age, I was lucky and got away with it,

 

[krela]

Kids have been killing themselves in dangerous places for hundreds of years. Long, long before YouTube.

What makes it easy for them, also makes it easier to make them aware of the dangers.

 

[Derelictspaces]

Told many potential statistics to stay away from Box Freestone in the past. Shame plenty of idiots still get in, get lost then start crying for cave rescue to come and get them. It's thanks to those twats we've, potentially, lost Box for the time being.

 

[krela]

Told many potential statistics to stay away from Box Freestone in the past. Shame plenty of idiots still get in, get lost then start crying for cave rescue to come and get them. It's thanks to those twats we've, potentially, lost Box for the time being.

Yep, 2 groups of kids in 3 days rescued last week. The media blamed it on someone spraying over arrows on the walls... errrrrrr.....

 

[Derelictspaces]

3 groups in 3 days by all accounts and Hanson are not happy bunnies. Did you see the comments on The Urban Explorer from a guy claiming to be the mines manager from Hanson?

You've gotta ask yourself what this means,on a broader scale, for the local mines. Will Hanson now think about sealing them too?

Anyone who follows the arrows deserves to get lost. It's not exactly a secret that they are gibberish for the most part.

 

[krela]

3 groups in 3 days by all accounts and Hanson are not happy bunnies. Did you see the comments on The Urban Explorer from a guy claiming to be the mines manager from Hanson?

You've gotta ask yourself what this means,on a broader scale, for the local mines. Will Hanson now think about sealing them too?

Anyone who follows the arrows deserves to get lost. It's not exactly a secret that they are gibberish for the most part.

It isn't the first time this has happened, it goes in cycles with places like this. They'll care for a year or two then they'll stop taking any notice again. No-one died so they won't take that much action nationally I'm sure. Their primary concern is probably the neighbours constantly hassling them about it and Natural England's / Bat Conservation Trust's concern over the bat population as it's a primary habitat for a substantial colony. The bats alone could be reason enough to block access.

 

[Derelictspaces]

Good job the bats are there really, some access has to be maintained for them and their counters. It's like Sands, few years back you had free run of the place, now jump the fence and you'll get a talking too from the plod. Then they'll get bored and stop turning up again, as they did at the red door.

 

[krela]

Good job the bats are there really, some access has to be maintained for them and their counters. It's like Sands, few years back you had free run of the place, now jump the fence and you'll get a talking too from the plod. Then they'll get bored and stop turning up again, as they did at the red door.

Exactly. It's been that way since I started knocking around the area in 1990, sometimes they care, sometimes they don't. Things get closed, they get opened again, on off on off on off. Box is a little bit different because there's always been a caving club access agreements, but such is life.

Either way mines and quarries are very dangerous places for youngsters, or anyone who doesn't know what they're doing for that matter, and I would ALWAYS suggest people go with a guide who knows their way around, if they're aged 12 or 50.

 

[Derelictspaces]

Either way mines and quarries are very dangerous places for youngsters, or anyone who doesn't know what they're doing for that matter, and I would ALWAYS suggest people go with a guide who knows their way around, if they're aged 12 or 50.

100% agree. I've been in Box countless times, couldn't do it alone though. I'd never get out!

 

[HughieD]

Danger = excitement. That will never change. Everything (well, almost everything) is a risk. Risks can be managed though through the making of simple and common sense choices. High up and underground have obvious risks. Life would be a tad boring with no risk at all. Just choose your risks wisely so your here another day to take further risk!

 

[mookster]

One or two youths on their own, not too bad. Any more than that and it's a recipe for an eventual disaster somewhere. It's happened before and it'll continue to happen unfortunately.

Case in point, and I know this is from across the pond but the same physics apply everywhere. The hospital I explored at the end of my last trip to the States is infamous for it's ridiculously dangerous floors, imagine Denbigh a few years ago before they ripped it all out but times it by ten. You have to keep to the 'well trodden path' through the buildings so as to avoid any possible express trip into the basement. We met a group of rowdy teens in there who were wandering around absolutely oblivious to everything, three times we bumped into them and three times we warned them to be careful of the floors because they could be lethal if you so much as put one foot wrong, did they listen? No.