| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson, David | 19 | Male | Severed spine | Spine |
On July 18 David Carson (19) and Jon Brock arrived at the Visitor Center at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. It was after closing time for cavern tours but the two proceeded along the tour trail nonetheless, down into the very scenic, spacious sinkhole entrance to the cave. The trail is chained off after hours, with a sign on the chain stating 'Do not go beyond Chain', but the barrier was apparently only psychological and the two had been drinking, so they stepped over and continued. Further along is a locked gate. Failing to get through this they left the trail and tried to bypass the gate on ledges at a higher level of the huge passage.
At about 9:45 p.m. Carson slipped from a guano-covered ledge, falling 40 feet onto a rubble pile. Fifteen minutes later Brock had found John McLaughlin, a Park Technician. Further help was summoned and the victim, who appeared to have spinal injuries, was strapped to a back board, carried out of the cave and transported by ambulance to Guadalupe Medical Center in Carlsbad It was determined that Carson had suffered a severed spine and was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
REFERENCES: Bobby Crisman, NPS Personal Communication June 10, 1981.
It was reported that alcohol was on both men's breath and that they were equipped only with flashlights. The entry was illegal but even sober people are overcome at times with a desire for adventure and I feel this accident was almost predictable. The entrance passage is so big that it is only fenced and gated along the bottom. Given this situation it was seemingly certain that eventually a nut or a drunk would come along and try to climb around the fence. Indeed, the same thing happened again later in the year.
Organized cavers should not feel too self-righteous, however, since climbing in exposed places without a belay is a common practice. To be as safe as possible one should not climb unbelayed in a situation where a fall could have serious consequences.
Two individuals got drunk and fell while attempting to break into Carsbad Caverns.