No injured cavers recorded.
At about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, a church group including 19 youngsters (ages 3-17) and 5 adults entered Fulford Cave in Eagle County, Colorado. Their light sources were flashlights and, while most of them had hardhats, most of these did not have chinstraps. Foot gear consisted mainly of tennis shoes. The leader, Kab Benefield (30), tried to keep ahead of the group to check out potential hazards along the route. When things slowed up some of the youngsters took off on their own to some extent. At some point Benefield checked a hole or pit and instructed everyone to stay away from it. Duminique Wasslein (16), a French citizen, either did not hear or understand this, and went to the drop. At about 10:30 a.m., "while leaning out over it, Wasslein slipped and fell about 25 feet, losing his hard hat and landing in a streambed in an area covered with breadown. Benefield returned, spied the victim and tried to climb down to give aid. He fell also, landing on his back suffering rib injuries and a cut hand. Meanwhile, Clarence Williams, Gene Dover, and Anthony Garcia entered the cave, soon meeting youngsters who related that there had been an accident. They soon reached the victims, Benefield sitting in the water holding the unconscious Wasslein. A doctor who happened to be in the cave arrived and examined the victims, advising them to get Wasslein out as soon as possible. After some discussion, Dover went to the entrance to cut tree limbs for making a stretcher while the others escorted the women and children out, instructing them to call the Eagle County Sheriff. The stretcher was completed using a pair of coveralls and tubing from a truck. Six cavers then started moving Wasslein to the entrance. Benefield followed under his own power. Over halfway out they met four cavers coming in who donated some jackets and vests and helped in the transport. At the entrance drop they met the Sheriff's rescue group. Since the basket litter had not arrived, the victim was put in a seat harness and pulled up the drop. He was transported the remaining distance to a waiting vehicle by the rescue group. Wasslein had suffered severe lacerations to the head, forehead and chin, a skull fracture and various strains and bruises.
The cave is muddy and slick and offers hazardous conditions, such as the pit. The cavers had slick-soled footwear (mainly tennis shoes) and were novices. This coupled with the lack of control of the group was inviting disaster. The lack of a chinstrap makes a hard hat almost useless in a fall.