| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor, Kathy | 17 | Female | Not recorded | Not recorded |
Sunday, 22 June 1975 A church group, led by Ed Belz (45), explored Ape Cave, a well-known lava tube. The group was ill-equipped and poorly dressed for this cold cave. Their light sources were inadequate and no one had a helmet. At about 8 p.m. the group was in the upper portion of the lava tube, just above the large lava falls, when Kathy Taylor (17) fell and hit her head. At first it appeared that a concussion was the most likely injury. There was no bleeding, but the victim was vomiting and complained of a severe headache and dizziness. She was delirious and said she was tired. Belz and the other members of the group tried to carry Taylor out but could not get her down the lava falls which is almost 10 feet high. Leaving three people with Taylor, Belz proceeded out by himself to get help. He encountered Bill Capron (25) and Barry Leibowitz (25), both NSS members. The two men returned to the injured girl while Belz proceeded to a nearby town and contacted a search and rescue team. At the accident site, Leibowitz and Capron found the three uninjured young people huddled together with a flashlight. Knowing that a long wait was coming and that hypothermia was a potential problem, the three were sent out after being given some high-energy food and a flashlight with fresh batteries. Coats were taken from the two boys since they would be warm enough on the way out. The victim was lying on the floor, propped up against the wall. She was cold and felt nauseous. Because of her head injury, she was not given any food. She vomited several times. A pack, the coats, and a knit hat were used in an attempt to keep the victim insulated and warm, yet she began to shiver about an hour later. A short while later about ten members of the rescue team arrived. Ms. Taylor was wrapped in blankets and placed in a Stokes litter. The rescue group depended on Coleman lanterns which proved to be inconvenient. Only one member had a hard hat. The victim was carried out and placed in a waiting ambulance about midnight.
Analysis: It was uncertain whether Kathy Taylor fell because she tripped or blacked out. She has passed out at least once before for an unknown reason. It was later found that she had an abnormal number of blood vessels to the brain and possibly a cerebral hematoma. It may have been hazardous for her to be caving at all because of this previously undiagnosed condition. A hard hat would have at least reduced her head injuries, though the major problem was not related to the fall. It was not possible for the group to have realized the possible danger, but better equipment would have alleviated the seriousness.
Source: Report by Bill Capron.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.