| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelfius, Steve | Not recorded | Male | Bruise | Hand |
Alabama, Neversink Pit
Saturday, 30 June 1973
Over 45 people had gathered at the bottom of the 160-foot deep Neversink Pit for the wedding of M. O. Smith and S. A. Bolt. Bill Torode was rigging a seventh rope but had not informed the people below that he was lowering another rope. It piled up on a ledge just below the lip of the pit. With the addition of more rope to the pile, about 150 feet of rope fell to a ledge about 40 feet from the bottom. As the rope hit the ledge. it dislodged a rock approximately 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The falling rope struck Steve Gelfius (about 24) on his hard hat. Gelfius instinctively reached for his head only to have the rock strike his hand and hard hat. Gelfius's hand was soaked in the waterfall and then bandaged. He complained of a headache but was able to climb out of the pit without difficulty.
Analysis: Gelfius's helmet was smashed on the right side. He could have been killed had he not been wearing the helmet. A contributing factor in the accident was the poor communications caused by the large number of people in the pit. Nevertheless, Torode should have told the cavers at the bottom what he was doing so they could move out of the danger area.
Source: Report by Steve Hudson Indiana, Bronson Cave
Wedding party of 45 people at bottom of pit.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.