| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plew, Ron | 19 | Male | Not recorded | Not recorded |
On 8 December, Ron Plew (19) and Steve Kontos (19) entered Shaft Cave using a homemade rope ladder constructed from wood rungs tied to 1/2 inch manila rope. They lowered another manila rope to use as a handline but it had tangled with the ladder and had been dropped into the pit.
Kontos had difficulty while descending because the ladder was twisted around itself. Plew also encountered difficulty and Kontos climbed part way to assist him. They finally both got safely to the bottom but a third companion declined to follow.
After resting at the bottom, they both attempted to ascend but were defeated by the twisted section of ladder. At this point, by coincidence, a group from the Central Indiana Grotto (NSS) arrived at the cave. Larry Reece having had the most vertical experience, rappelled into the pit to assess the situation. An attempt to have Plew climb the ladder on belay failed so the ladder was removed from the pit.
Reece then gave Kontos instructions on using Jumar ascenders and started him up the rope, following on prusiks in case he encountered difficulties. This worked easily so Reece descended and sent Plew up in the same fashion.
Source: Larry Reece
Analysis: (Reece) The rescue was necessary because the people involved did not know what they were doing. They overestimated their ability, possibly because they had not been associated with any formal caving organization. These are the type of people who make the newspapers and give caving a bad name. The only way to prevent this type of incident is to reach these people and train them before they have a chance to get into trouble.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.