| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson, Shelia | Not recorded | Female | Not recorded | Not recorded |
Julia James, Neil Montgomery, Tracy and Shelia Johnson, and Bill Stone had gone down ten drops to a depth of 175 meters in la Hoya de las Conchas. As Sheila Johnson was making a difficult traverse, a foothold broke. She flipped twice in the air and landed in a shallow pool 5 meters below. She received facial injuries, and rescue operations were begun immediately. In 5 and a half hours the group pulled her up all the drops using a haul line, a belay line, and a separate climbing line for assistance.
Analysis: "There is no question that the pitch Sheila fell on, though climbable, should have had a handline. The team's shortage of rope (which ultimately stopped further exploration at -500m) was a thin excuse. Everyone's climbing ability must be considered, not just that of the best climber, who is usually in the lead deciding whether to rig or not. The cave's depth and wetness, and the team's shortage of personnel all counselled prudence. Few accidents have yet occurred in American deep caves, but it is much to their credit that the rescue team got Sheila out so quickly-and no small part of this credit goes to the Australian cavers. Also of note is the fact that Sheila's helmet, a construction type with elastic chin strap, flew off her head in mid-fall. Under the centrifugal force of a fall the chin strap will stretch, and such a helmet will leave the head. Sheila was lucky." (Sprouse)