| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burch, Shelly | 16 | Female | Back injury, broken teeth, deep lacerations | Not recorded |
West Virginia, Sinnett-Thorn Mountain Cave
Saturday, 19 October 1974
A group of five novices from the Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, entered the Sinnett entrance of the Sinnett-Thorn Mountain Cave. While climbing above the connection squeeze, one girl in this group, Shelly Burch (16), lost her footing and fell down the crumbly, semi-vertical fissure and mud slope. She fell and tumbled about 100 feet. She sustained a back injury, broken teeth, and deep lacerations of her face and the back of her head. The Franklin Volunteer Fire Department was notified about the accident around 5:00 p.m. Of the eight firemen responding, only two had first aid training. One of these two men, Richard Harding, entered the Thorn Mountain entrance pit even though he had no caving experience. The victim was lodged in a crevice too tight for Harding. Luckily the girl was not in deep shock or suffering from hypothermia, and was able to move herself to the rescuer. She was removed by Stokes litter by 10:30 p.m.
Analysis: The high school students were ill-equipped and had little if any previous caving experience. Since the other students were wearing hard hats, Harding surmised that the victim had also been wearing one but had lost it in the fall. Elastic chin-straps have repeatedly proven ineffectual in holding on hard hats during a fall. Harding was aware of the Cave Rescue Coordination Network of the Virginia Region of the NSS but felt he could handle the situation. Although this rescue was successful, the authorities in many small towns are probably unqualified to handle all but the simplest cave rescues. The State Police in Franklin did not know the CRCN phone number.
Sources: Report by Frank O'Hara Nalls, Chuck and Frank O'Hara. (1974) "Sinnett-thorn Mountain." D.C. Speleograph. Anon. (1974) "Girl Injured in Fall While Exploring Cave Near Moyers." The Pendleton Times. Vol. 61, No. 42, 24 Oct. 1974.