No injured cavers recorded.
In the Fall of 1981 a group of three cavers were beginning a trip into the Fisher Ridge System near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. At a 50 foot drop there is a permanently rigged rope - one rappels in and utilizes "a series of tricky climbs" to exit. The rope is 100 feet long and the lower portion is used for a second drop, somewhat offset, rigged to a boulder. Thus the rope for the first drop is secured at top and bottom.
As Keith Ortiz prepared to descend it was noticed that the rope was especially taut. It was decided that it was probably snagged on the boulder at the bottom and would easily come free when the weight of a climber was on it. Ortiz rappelled, but 15 feet down observed that the rope was snagged on a projection 20 feet above the floor. Continuing the rappel would not allow him to reach the snag which was to one side. Without ascending gear he could not go up, nor did he want to wait for someone to climb around - the Swiss seat he was using would surely stop the circulation in his legs.
By undoing the Swiss seat Ortiz was able to climb to a nearby 'window', a safe perch from which to wait for the rope to be freed. One of his companions insisted the climb down from the 'window' had been done. Using the Swiss seat as a handline Ortiz downclimbed the 35 feet to the floor.
Analysis: As Ortiz observes, "every trip involving ropework should have along at least one set of climbing gear... Certainly any number of situations can be imagined where a rappel may need to be aborted."