| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foote, Wayne | 33 | Male | Scrapes, bruises | Chin, throat, chest |
On 4 September, Ernst Kastning (23), Rodger Smith (22), Frank Vacante (28), Wayne Foote (33) and Thomas Foote (5) visited Church Cave to continue work on a mapping project. At about 1:30 p.m. they reached the Register Room, where Vacante and both Footes waited while Kastning and Smith continued mapping into a narrow passage.
Wayne Foote decided to look for other leads from the room so commenced to climb along the walls. From a ledge 4 feet above the floor, he reached another ledge about 5 feet higher and attempted to "retable." The upper ledge, a slab about 5x2x1 feet, came free and fell "without a sound;" Foote found himself standing on the floor of the room with the slab at his feet. Foote was uninjured except for scratches on his chin and throat, and a bruise on his chest.
The party was unable to move the rock in order to recover two packs upon which it had fallen.
Source: Wayne Foote
Analysis: (Foote) The writer used to hear a saying that a rock falls in a cave once every 10,000 years. Whether this is myth or fact, it is certainly true that in the comparatively short time a caver is under any particular rock it is unlikely to fall. On the other hand. a rock that would not fall by itself for another hundred years might fall on a caver if he put his weight on it. Therefore, potential breakdown in the wall or roof should be treated with due respect and not touched when there is someone below it.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.