Four found dead in Utah Cave

[Arizonaheat]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050818/ap_on_re_us/cave_search

[Daddee]

Just read that before you posted it - let's be careful out there folks!

I'd be willing to bet that they were beginning or intermediate level cavers who thought they knew what they were doing.
_________________
"Only small minds want always to be right."
- Louis XIV

"...haven't you lived long enough to know that two men may honestly differ about a question and both be right?"
- Abraham Lincoln

[RedRoxx44]

This is why you want to go with people with experience and good gear.
A little story told at my cave group meeting.

A young man was shown an intermediate but serious cave here in Southern Arizona. He promptly brought two friends in the next weekend. He dropped a clothes line over what he thought was a 15-20 foot drop to do it hand over hand. He lowered himself into a 140 pit called the "Hell hole". When he came to the end of his rope and realized his error, his friends tried to pull him up. He was over some slick flowstone, no foot holds. He fell after holding on 45 minutes. The drop narrows and opens, so he fell not smoothly to the bottom.
He lived an estimated 7-8 hours, when rescue came he had died.

The cavers state--he was stupid and basically killed himself.

Caves like the above with sumps (water filled passages) are really bad. 8 folks from a grotto back east got caught inside one but had stored emergency provisions in the cave above waterline and were rescued after 4 days, all alive and well.

In the group I am with 3 members are certified in cave rescue. One member has been in a certain "famous" cave in New Mexico (not Carlsbad) over 40 times helping out with research and science. I am lucky and hopefully will learn to explore the "right" way.
But it is why I haven't offered to take anyone, I am not qualified and don't want anyone getting hurt, including me!!!
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You can rest when you're dead