Cave rescue squad 'could have saved pit victim'

The tragic case of Alison Hume, who died in a disused mine shaft, made Scottish legal history when a second fatal accident inquiry into her death reopened yesterday.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie said it would be "remiss" of him to disregard a letter he received from a little-known rescue service which claimed it could have saved her.

Ms Hume, 44, fell into a disused shaft belonging to the Goatfoot Mine in Galston, Ayrshire, in July 2008. The successful lawyer and mother of two had been walking home across fields just after midnight when she plunged 50ft into the pit.

A fatal accident inquiry in March heard about a conflict among fire service personnel at the scene, some of whom wanted to descend into the hole to save her. They were stopped by senior officers, who said it was not in their "remit" to perform sub-surface rescues involving rope-based equipment.

After more than six hours down the wet shaft, Ms Hume suffered a heart attack as she was being lifted to the surface and died later at Kilmarnock's Crosshouse Hospital.

Sheriff Leslie reopened the Inquiry at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in August after he received a letter from retired fire fighter John Bowman.

Now, it is to enter its third session after Sheriff Leslie received another letter, this time from the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation. Its leader, Alan Jeffreys, claims his team could have quickly plucked Ms Hume from the shaft but - despite being part of the 999 emergency service - they were never contacted on the night.

Sheriff Leslie said at a special hearing yesterday: "It seems to me this letter raises significant concerns. The terms of this letter are such that any determination I should issue would be materially flawed."