No injured cavers recorded.
Wednesday, 1 May 1974 Mitchell Busker and Trace Ann Kelver (19), both Santa Fe Junior College students, became lost in Mefert's Cave about 45 minutes after they entered. At 1:30 a.m. the Marion County Sheriff's Office was notified that the couple was missing. Two deputies located the students, who had been lost about 12 hours. They had no food or water, and their flashlight batteries had died several hours after they had entered the cave.
Analysis: Inexperience.