| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place, Gwen | 23 | Female | Not recorded | Not recorded |
Georgia, Case Cave
Saturday, 4 January 1975
Case Cave is not a difficult cave but it does have its hazards. Four inexperienced cavers were about 1000 feet from the entrance when at about 6:30 p.m. first-time caver Gwen Place (23) slipped because of the mud. She slid about 10 feet before her right ankle caught in a crack, stopping her fall just inches from a 30-foot drop. The force of her sudden stop snapped both the bones of her lower leg. Two of her party went for help, while several cavers from another group stayed with her and her companion. The Dade County Civil Defense was contacted at 7:05 p.m. and were at the cave within 10 minutes. The rescue squad members, who were skilled in both caving and emergency first aid, entered the cave about 7:30 p.m., but were somewhat delayed in reaching the victim since her companions who had gone for help were unable to guide the rescuers to the site of the accident. Because of the type and location of the accident it was necessary to immobilize the broken leg in an air splint and place the victim in a Stokes litter. The injury, a compound fracture with nearly 4 inches of bone protruding from the flesh, was extremely painful to the victim. Ms. Place did not go into severe shock and seemed to suffer very little once the leg had been splinted. She was admitted to a local hospital about 15 minutes past midnight.
Analysis: The immediate cause of the accident was slippery mud and boots. The inexperience of the group prevented them from recognizing the potentially dangerous area. The cavers who went for help should have marked the way carefully so they would have no trouble returning to the victim.
Sources: Report by Foxy Ferguson. Ferguson, Foxy. (1975) "Compound Fracture, Case Cave." Huntsville Grotto Newsletter. Vol. 16, No. 3, pp.27-28.