A NATIONAL charity has ordered a safety review of its adventure courses after one of its groups had to be rescued from a flooding cave.

The review will look into why two experienced instructors took a group of teenagers underground during heavy rain - forcing a major rescue.

Twelve people - eight of them youngsters on a Prince’s Trust trip - came within a minute of being trapped in rising water at Lower Long Churn caves, near Ingleton, last week.

The charity’s review is likely to focus on why the activity went ahead despite Met Office weather warnings.

Although everyone got out safely, the Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) which led the rescue criticised the instructors for taking the youngsters down.

Dave Gallivan, CRO duty controller, said they had a ‘very lucky escape’.

“It was a massive error of judgement to go into this caving system, considering the weather.

"If we hadn’t got the group out at that moment we could have all been trapped inside until the following afternoon.”

There were fears that had the water continued to rise their lives would have been in danger.

Mr Gallivan said the rescuers had to evacuate the cave with just a minute to spare.

“I realised we had 50 minutes to do the operation we did and on 49 minutes the water levels increased again,” he said.

“We had to leave all our equipment and evacuate the cave.

“I was surprised to find two experienced caving instructors in the group. We had a word with them and they were aware they had made a mistake.”

The drama unfolded at around 1pm last Wednesday when a nearby army expedition alerted police, prompting the rescue by 35 CRO volunteers and members of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.

But water levels were too high for their own safety and they had to wait a number of hours for the flooding to subside.

Around 20 metres underground, the cavers faced an agonising five-hour wait before crews led them to safety.

The cavers’ location was located in a section beyond the Cheese Press, a well-known part of the Dales’ cave system.

They were led 250 metres back to the cave entrance and eventually reached the surface at around 6.30pm when they were taken to Pennine Hut, at Road Head, given hot drinks and checked over by paramedics.

The water - which was up to three metres high at its peak - was flowing so quickly through the cave that people were knocked off their feet.

Mr Gallivan described the operation as ‘difficult’ and warned cavers not to venture underground in bad weather.

The teenagers were on the Prince’s Trust ‘Team’ programme which works with disadvantaged youngsters to develop skills and confidence.

A trust spokesman said: “The health and safety of our young people is paramount in all of our programmes and we work with trained professionals to run our outdoor activities.

“We are pleased that all of the young people returned safe and well but we are reviewing this situation to ensure every aspect of the planning and delivery of the programme meets with the very high standards we demand.”

The trip was arranged in conjunction with Oldham-based Groundwork - which was responsible for the delivery of the ‘Team’ programme - and outdoor pursuits company Rough Edges - which was responsible for the caving trip.

In 2007, a 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman drowned after becoming trapped in Lower Long Churn after the usually ankle-deep stream swelled during heavy rain.

Both were described as ‘experienced potholers’ but local experts have urged people not to be put off caving by Wednesday’s incident.

Matt Burke, head of arts and media at Kendal College - and a CRO volunteer who was involved in last week’s rescue - said: “Kendal College’s systems are very robust and we wouldn’t have taken the same risks as the group on Wednesday.

“The educational benefits of outdoor activities far outweigh the risks when those risks are carefully managed,” he said.

“It’s very important to get the message across that outdoor activities are fantastic for young people when organised properly.”

Chris Tate, from Yorkshire Subterranean Society, said the instructors were ‘ill advised’ to take the group down but added: “We encourage people to join clubs and get involved in club caving, learning from professionals who have experienced the cave and who will have advice and guidance.

“It is not just understanding the weather but how the caves respond to the weather and picking the right time.”

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a popular destination for people wanting to experience the thrill of caving.

Mark Allum, recreation and tourism manager at Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “Going down a cave is a fantastic experience which gives people an insight into the area and a chance to learn about the creation of the passages, chambers, and formations such as stalactites and stalagmites.”