Four Die in Utah Underwater Cave

[OFG-1]

I ran across this article this afternon.
Does anyone have any further info on this?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8998472/

Edit - This makes it sound more like a sump accident.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...081805856.html

[jeremy]

I ran across this article this afternon.
Does anyone have any further info on this?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8998472/

Edit - This makes it sound more like a sump accident.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...081805856.html

Looks like a free diving accident. Only 15 feet of passageway between the chambers. I would imagine though, after a bunch of people going back and forth that there probably wasn't any breathable air left in the chamber.

Just my speculation though.

[Webmaster]

First person in line gets snagged, takes a little too long and holds everyone else up... It wouldn't take much.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050818/...us/cave_search[/url]

[JE]

I've seen the 'eyes of darkness' a few times, & often it is painfull-! Once while water skiing & our own ski boat nailed me from behind....Again when a wealthy 'drunk' knocked me from a brand new T140 Bonneville MC, while heading to Florida to live; and a third time with mere seconds to clip off my back-up regulator. All of which were educational & instrumental to my own survival, from which I truly savor life.
The light of which I speak of, comes from being in the right place at the right time: Three OW divers beyond the CDS sign in LR, with their BC's fully inflated & clawing at the walls & ceiling to get out. Swimming back from a 55 minute solo excursion in this wonderous cave I noticed my line all over the place just before the tie off, along with the tremdous amount of silt being kicked up. Looking up & seeing three pairs of fins kicking frantically moved me into action, & making the right decisions. Yanking on each one's leggs, I deflated their BC's & motioned to the 'doorway' out of LR.......They all survived....& I was sick to my stomach, as it could have gone the other way. They waited for me to complete Deco & then we had a long talk on the benefits of training & the right equipment in caves. I've told this story before, & most of you have probably paid little attention to it. There is a moral to this story & that is:
Why do we take un-educated risks when training & education is readily available-? I cannot answer this, but it saddens me deeply that again, four innocent lives are taken, when with the right information & training available to them, they would more than likely still be here with us.
For what its worth....I hope that everyone will take this to heart & re-evaluate your own worth & to be educated & trained the proper way to begin with. I am thankful for Ary, Chip, Cindy & other close friends who hold my own well being first.

Jack

[Cindy]

This is very sad. I feel for these people. I have done one or two duck under swims myself and they always scared the cr** out of me! It's too bad four lives were lost. Another good reason as Jack points out to have the right gear and the best skills. A little tank for each of those people might have helped. Who really knows though what the circumstances of our own deaths will be. Cindy

[normblitch]

The light of which I speak of, comes from being in the right place at the right time: Three OW divers beyond the CDS sign in LR, with their BC's fully inflated & clawing at the walls & ceiling to get out. Swimming back from a 55 minute solo excursion in this wonderous cave I noticed my line all over the place just before the tie off, along with the tremdous amount of silt being kicked up. Looking up & seeing three pairs of fins kicking frantically moved me into action, & making the right decisions. Yanking on each one's leggs, I deflated their BC's & motioned to the 'doorway' out of LR.......They all survived....& I was sick to my stomach, as it could have gone the other way. They waited for me to complete Deco & then we had a long talk on the benefits of training & the right equipment in caves. I've told this story before, & most of you have probably paid little attention to it. There is a moral to this story & that is:
Why do we take un-educated risks when training & education is readily available-? I cannot answer this, but it saddens me deeply that again, four innocent lives are taken, when with the right information & training available to them, they would more than likely still be here with us.
For what its worth....I hope that everyone will take this to heart & re-evaluate your own worth & to be educated & trained the proper way to begin with. I am thankful for Ary, Chip, Cindy & other close friends who hold my own well being first.

Jack

The rescue story is, sadly, a rare one, and one that I had not heard previously...I for one, would like to see a thread devoted to these (rescue reports, as opposed to recoveries).

And I would like to go on record as giving thanks to Sheck, Mary Ellen, Wes, MW and LG (instructors), and Don Stadler, Mark Ullman, Lake City Tom, and Ary (buddies, past and present), and ALL friends and aquaintances who have contributed to MY well-being and ongoing learning of the Art and Craft.

Norm

[Ken Hill]

All FYI regarding the sump incident.

Portions of the person filing preliminary recovery report
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- --
Four died in a Utah Cave near Provo. They tried to free swim though a 14
foot sump. It appears they were on the way out. All were found in the
water filled 4 foot tall passage.

This cave has seen visitaion for more than 10 years. I has now been sealed
off.

more info at
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/18/cav....ap/index.html

We took CO readings of 0 and O2 never got below 19. In my shorty wet suit the water felt about 60 degrees. The four had been burning candles in the mine shaft but we did not find any in the cave proper

Redacted
Utah County Sheriff SAR
Utah Cave Search and Rescue
Institute of Emergency Services and Homeland Security

[normblitch]

This is very sad. I feel for these people. I have done one or two duck under swims myself and they always scared the cr** out of me! It's too bad four lives were lost. Another good reason as Jack points out to have the right gear and the best skills. A little tank for each of those people might have helped. Who really knows though what the circumstances of our own deaths will be. Cindy

Back when Dry Caves were part of Cavern training, I did Bat Cave in a time of high water...Don't remember the passage (Sidewinder or Serpintine or something like that) name, but it was a LOW crawl alternate route on the left to the Big Room...had to remove the helmet, put it in front, turn your head and hold your breath for about 4 (seemingly endless) feet...gave me the Jeebies...

Norm

[FW]

After doing some searching, I have found the following:

1. It was not a cave, it was a mine.
2. The victems were not "cavers", just local students.
3. Using candles would have added CO2 to the air, causing blackout.

It is still sad.

I agree with Cindy, I don't do "duck unders" without a regulator handy.

[ARY]

.... They tried to free swim though a 14
foot sump. It appears they were on the way out. All were found in the
water filled 4 foot tall passage...

14x4 tunnel... Maybe it is one of the few situations when solo would be beneficial. It is sad news, i feel sorry for their relatives.