Eight teams participated in the event. Five of them represented Slovakia, one came from Hungary, and the remaining two squads were Polish. The other Polish team, which accompanied the rescuers from the Borynia mine in pursuit for the victory, was the squad from the Wujek mine, which took the fifth place.
In the course of the competition, the rescuers, equipped with the W-70 regeneration apparatus, had to negotiate the so called smoke-box (an exercise chamber which was approx. 10 m high). This means that they had to cross longwall galleries of various heights and various levels of difficulty. The next step required them to establish a connection with the centre station and measure concentration of gases. When they left the smoke-box, the rescuers had to cut a rod of 8 mm in diameter into three equal sections with the use of hydraulic shears, and then change a cylinder in a rescuer’s apparatus. The next task required them to pull a loaded mine cart using a chain winch, build an imitation of a plank ventilation stopping, transport an injured person, join two pipe sections, 150 in diameter each, in such a manner so as to make them completely waterproof, negotiate a ventilation pipe with a diameter of 600, and closing a passage with a lid and tightening 4 screws on it. Our rescuers, who competed as team number 7, once again proved unrivalled and won the first prize. The competition, hosted by the Central Mines Rescue Station in Prievidza, was held for the eleventh time. For the first time in history, a foreign team won the competition.
The Borynia mine rescue team consisted of: Przemysław Sinecki – team leader, Marcin Kaczorek, Paweł Zwoleń, Mirosław Ślazyk, Sebastian Krawczyk – deputy team leader, Grzegorz Porada – reserve rescuer, Mirosław Drucik – mechanic, Adam Szkołda – manager of the Borynia mine rescue team.
The list of participants in order of ranks achieved in the competition:
1. The Borynia mine rescue team – JSW S.A.
2. HBP,a.s.ZBZS Novaky
3. HBP,a.s. Handlova
4. HBP,a.s. ZBZS Cigel
5. The Wujek mine rescue team – Kompania Węglowa
6. Bana Cary,a.s.
7. HaZZ Bratislava
8. Markushegyi Banya (Hungary)
fot.: Piotr Pieczka