incident at Sloan's Valley Cave

Date
2nd Jan 1982
Publication
ACA 1982 p. 256
Cave
Sloan's Valley Cave
State
Kentucky
County
Pulaski
Country
United States of America
Category
Cave
Incident type
Unknown
Group type
Unknown
Group size
3
Aid type
Unknown
Source
Unknown
Incident flags

Injured cavers

No injured cavers recorded.

Incident report

On January 2, 1982, a group of three returned from a trip into Sloan's Valley Cave in Pulaski County, Kentucky, to find rain clouds moving in. They went back to the Fieldhouse. At p.m. it started to rain. The sign-out showed three inexperienced cavers had entered Left Cave at 6:30 p.m. and were thus not expected out until 2 a.m. Left Cave was known to flood, but only under very heavy rain conditions. The rain volume gradually increased. At 9 p.m. the usually dry streambed north of the Fieldhouse had become a raging river. A group headed for Left Cave at that point to get the cavers out if possible. The cave was found not yet to be in flood and the group in question was quickly found. The rain continued through the night and stopped the next morning. Evidence indicated a 15 foot rise and the Duckunder, dry before, was sumped shut.

Incident analysis

This shows the importance of signing out or leaving a note, but even inexperienced cavers should have the sense to keep out of caves in bad weather.

Summary

A group of inexperienced cavers in Sloan's Valley Cave were rescued before the cave flooded due to heavy rain.

References

  1. Fred Anderson "The Sloan's Valley Flood" The Cave Crickett Gazette 7:2 February, 1982 pp 16-17.
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