| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rimel, Bill | 18 | Male | Not recorded | Not recorded |
On Saturday, October 2, Fritz Merback (19) and Bill Rimel (18) entered Tongue River Cave, near Sheridan, Wyoming. They proceeded to the cave stream, a relatively straight-forward trip from the entrance. In the process one of their two flashlights was dropped and the batteries went dead on the other. They were lightly clothed and had no food. A shirt, tapes and some money were burned to provide heat and light, but these were soon gone. Huddling together, they waited for rescue. On Tuesday morning, October 5, the parents of the cavers called a relative in Sheridan who informed the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office. Sheridan County Search and Rescue and REACT was called at 11 a.m. and a few hours later the boys had been found and brought to the surface. Rimel was weak and had a sore throat; Merback was treated for a minor cut on the head.
Analysis: The cavers lacked head gear, proper clothing and adequate lights. Moreover, they left no word of their objective. If the cave had been colder there could have been two fatalities.
Lost 4 days after lights died. Aglarond (Newspaper) 6(1-2) Oct76. Denver Post 10/7/77
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.