| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mongold, Robert | 30 | Male | Near starvation | Not recorded |
| Mongold, Anita | 25 | Female | Fall, near starvation | Not recorded |
Robert Mongold (30 or 31) and his wife, Anita (25 or 26), wanted to obtain clay for modelling.
They sneaked into Twigg Cave one night about midnight (the owner of the cave does not grant permission to explore it). Mrs. Mongold originally planned to stay outside but her husband wanted her to see a rock formation in the cave. They climbed down the entrance fissure on a homemade rope ladder. Only a few hundred feet inside their flashlight stopped working.
Several days later Anita Mongold floundered down a steep, 30-foot incline. Her husband was able to grope his way to her but they could not climb back to the main passage. They spent their time huddling for warmth, drinking cave water, and discussing their favorite foods. The couple was not soon missed since they were in the habit of going off on extended caving and camping trips without informing anyone of their plans.
Eventually Anita Mongold's parents began to search for the couple. Their pickup truck was spotted near the cave. Three members of the Narrows Grotto of the NSS were called in to help search. The grotto members found the couple on Tuesday 19 August 1975. It took several hours to lead the weakened couple out of the cave.
The Mongolds had been in the cave for either 10 or 13 days (their account changed). They were both near starvation. According to the examining doctor, Robert Mongold had lost 21 pounds and was within or 3 days of death. Anita Mongold had lost 26 pounds and the doctor doubted whether she could have lasted another day. The victims thought they had been in the cave about 5 days when rescued.
The Mongolds violated the basic rules of carrying three sources of light and informing someone about their whereabouts. If their truck had not been spotted they would almost certainly have perished.