| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowe, Tim | 20 | Male | Fracture | Compression fracture spine, cracked vertebrae, dislocated ankle and broken nose. |
Arizona, Dante's Descent
Saturday, 23 June 1973
NSS members Gary Williams (23) and Tim Rowe (20) stopped by Dante's Descent for a look. On an impulse Rowe decided to drop the 256-foot free-fall drop using 125 feet of Goldline and 150 feet of Perlon rope tied together. Williams did not drop the pit. At about 4:00 p.m. while Rowe was ascending, the Perlon rope was cut by the sharp basalt rock. Rowe fell about 60 feet, landing feet first. He suffered a compression fracture of the spine, broken vertebrae, a dislocated right ankle and a broken nose. After determining that the victim was conscious, Williams drove five miles to town. He could not contact a mountaineering or cave rescue group so he called the sheriff's office. An ex-paramedic was lowered into the pit by a tow truck winch, and he placed Rowe in a Stokes litter. Two hours later a helicopter hoisted them both out.
Analysis: The rope had been laid over an edge which in the past has cut at least two ropes. The rope was not padded at the critical edge (20 feet down). Greater care in selecting the rigging point and use of rope pads would probably have prevented the accident.
Sources: Report by Richard Frith Anon. (1973) "Accident at Dante's.' Cave Crawler's Gazette. Anon. (1973) "Accident in Dante's Descent." NSS News. Vol. 31, No. 8, p. 133.
Cave Crawler's Gazette, NSS News Vol31, No8 p133.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.