The Tidal swamp
Dartford Heath DF club (unfortunately now closed down) held a memorable event based on the Maidstone map with one of the stations located in a swamp on the tidal section of the River Medway opposite the paper works below the weir at Aylesford. Lots of people have memories of this evil site, and could I’m sure add to the selection presented here. The area itself was as I’ve said, a swamp. It had large trees in it and little in the way of cover except round the edge where the land remained above water level, and here the thorns were evil. This roughly rectangular area was surrounded on three and a half sides by tidal by a tidal creek, that had been used in the distant past for barges, as there was a tall solid brick wharf area on the landward side of the creek. The swamp itself was ‘drained’ by various gullies, dykes and ditches, which were lined with aquatic plants and giant weeds rather like rhubarb, but with stinging spines on the stems. Chris Plummer found his way in across one of these dykes over a 9"wide plank some 15’ long, and got to the transmitter hidden in the half rotten hollow trunk of a tree (above the water line). As time had passed, without realising the swamp was tidal and the tide was coming in, Chris couldn’t find the plank to get out back across the dyke. It was now under water. Add to this the site was crossed by high voltage power lines, he soon got disorientated and was going round in circles. This wasn’t so easy as it meant getting across part filled ditches, jumping from slimy footing, sometime he didn’t get across. Then there ensued monumental struggles to get out of a slime covered ditch in water up to his chest. The plant life apart from being hostile, came out of the soil with the least tug, so it was a kind of limbo dance to get out each time he fell in.
Eventually he found firmer ground around the outside of the site next to the creek, and could see the car, but had to compete with the vicious thorns. By this time although he could see the car, he was so kn***ered that he dare not take to the creek mud and oily looking water. However, other later teams saw him and convinced themselves that that was the way in (IT DEFINATELY WASN’T). One such was Eric Mollart who slogged through the mud and swam 30 yards of the ever widening creek, only to be told when he asked asked where the transmitter was ‘I was here at 2:30 but I don’t know now, I’ve been trying to get out for hours’ Eventually the organiser with, video camera attached, took pity on the wet mud streaked slimy creature and persuaded Chris to paddle across the plank which was by now 2’ under water. Thinking back Chris could have gone back to the TX, and asked but they weren’t sure where the plank was either. Chris didn’t go to the tea, stripped off the mud soaked gear into the car boot, and went off home to Hampshire, when opening the boot in Alton, the clothes crawled out on their own. He also sent a message to the tea for them to count who was there, cause there could still be people lost in the swamp.
Another experience at the same site was Trevor Gage, who also decided to swim the creek, having left his DF set with his driver, then when on ‘drier’ ground(not water but definitely close ... river mud) he got the driver to chuck his set across. Trevor caught the set, but heard a splash in the mud next to him. ‘What was that?’ he asked, to be told it was Trevors gold watch he had left with the driver for SAFE keeping. Delving in the mud did not retrieve the watch (its still there as far as we know). Not to be deterred Trevor then crossed the thorn covered land and took to the water of the wider ditch but away from the plank. This water was up to 16’ deep, so Trevor was soon in trouble. As he came up for the third time, he managed to grab an overhanging willow twig, but the DF set was underwater hanging on only by the headphone lead with the headphone still on Trevors head. It was then that real determination showed. Trevor with only one hand free and half drowned, gently pulled on the headphone lead with his free hand and pushed the loop in his teeth whilst he got another bight on the lead with his free hand. (Note, no thought for saving himself first and DF set second). Eventually the DF Set appeared, good thing the headphone jack socket was rather tight, otherwise the set would still be there to this day in the ditch. Trevor only then inched his way out of the water towards the transmitter and I understand got there still coughing up water, but had to be led out of the swamp hand in hand with the organiser, as the route crossed the death trap ditch.
The moral of this story is twofold, never give up on life or your DF set, and ALWAYS take a note of the way in as its probably the best way out. (Chris really had no excuse for not knowing the site, he used to live within 5 miles of it for 5 years.
Video of this site forms a large part of one of the videos used to introduce (honest - not put off) people to DF’ing.