| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speck, Randy | 18 | Male | Not recorded | Not recorded |
On Wednesday, February 22, at about 4 p.m. Randy Speck (18) and Joe Owens (17) entered Motlow Cave, in Moore County, Tennessee. Both had explored in this particular cave before. Speck "apparently had begun to climb up to (a) ledge when a homemade grappling hook snapped." This apparently left him hanging just below the ledge by handholds. He hoisted himself to the ledge, but was trapped 40 feet up, with no way to descend. The ledge was a "quarter mile into the cave." Owens went for help.
At about 5 p.m. Owens contacted the Moore County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff in turn notified the Tullahoma Rescue Squad and the Tullahoma Auxiliary Police. At 6 p.m. a rescue squad member and Owens went into the cave-the other rescuers being "too large." They apparently talked Speck down and were back out by 8 p.m.
Analysis: The grappling hook should have been made sufficiently strong for the job plus a wide safety margin and tested before use.
Elk Valley Times Observer and News 2/23/78. The Tennessean 2/23/78.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.