| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siler, William | 58 | Male | Broken bones | Arm, possibly back |
September 3, 1977 Around noon on Saturday, September 3, three cavers prepared to enter Valhalla Cave, Jackson County, Alabama. Valhalla is an extensive cave with a 227 foot freefall entrance drop. Not knowing the depth of the pit, they rigged a rope which appeared to reach the bottom. Only one was inexperienced in vertical caves and it was decided that he should go second. The first to descend was William Siler (58). He proceeded to rappel off the end of the rope which was 10 to 20 feet short of the bottom. Kent Burchfield lowered more rope and rappelled to the victim. He diagnosed a broken arm and possible back injuries. The third member of the group then jogged down the mountain to summon aid. Birmingham was first called and a group of cavers left for the accident scene, 150 miles away. The Huntsville Police Department and Madison County Rescue Squad were also notified and called local cavers to get directions to the cave. Naturally enough the competent cavers involved themselves. These arrived at 5 p.m. to find the road up the mountain clogged with police and private cars, necessitating a two mile hike. At the cave three lines were rigged and the victim was to be raised on one by manpower at the top while two rescuers ascended at either side. The excess manpower, police and locals, was put to work planning the evacuation off the mountain side. This kept most of them away from the pit edge. At the bottom, the victim's broken right wrist was splinted; he was wrapped in a space blanket, administered a mild sedative and strapped into a basket litter. The lift went quickly and smoothly and the victim was out by 8 p.m. By 10:30 p.m. he had reached a hospital.
Analysis: According to Siler, mist part way down the pit caused them to misjudge the depth. Obviously, a suitable knot in the end of the rope would have prevented the accident but it must be said that it is rather careless to rappel off the end of a rope under any circumstances. The rescue call-up was not smooth. The cavers did not know who to call and the MCRS dispatcher had lost the list of local cavers.