| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May, James | 21 | Male | Bruises and scrapes | Body |
At around noon on Saturday, April 26, a group of four or five entered Huccacove Cave, near Cave of the Winds in Colorado. Some distance into the cave an argument commenced. James May (21) became angry and told the others to leave him—he would find his own way out! He had 'three flashlights with extra batteries and (was) dressed in a shirt and jeans, kneepads and sneakers.' He had, thus, no food, water, or extra clothes. His companions took his request seriously and left.
On Sunday he had not appeared so they re-entered the cave and after some time, spied his light. They called out but May's response was to turn his light out. They left the cave at about 6 p.m. Two of the party were injured in a fall down the steep slope outside and required the assistance of El Paso Search and Rescue. None of the group told the rescue personnel of their crazed companion, still in the cave.
May's mother, however, heard of this accident, realized her son was missing, and informed the El Paso Sheriff's department.
At about midnight, Sunday night, two Search and Rescue personnel, the manager of Cave of the Winds, and four cavers from the Air Force Academy entered the cave to find May. Only the Cave of the Winds manager had been in the cave before. In five hours they searched all the cave on the map they possessed without finding the victim.
At around noon on Monday, Barney Foster, who had heard of the situation on the TV news, entered the cave to continue the search. He knew the cave well and planned to check the upper rear portion which had not been searched. Search and Rescue would not pursue the matter with him since May was known to disappear for two or three days at a time but always turned up. No other cavers were available.
Foster proceeded through a slot ('Steve tried and died') at the back, across a crevice (leading to the lower area of the cave, already checked) and up into a series of tight squeezes to the upper part of the cave. At the first of these squeezes he found a flashlight. Past two small rooms he entered a room with large breakdown blocks. Here he heard a cough, yelled, got a response, and crawled into another room where he found May, lying on the floor. May had burned everything but his pants and sneakers to keep warm and was covered with bruises and scrapes.
Foster gave him an energy bar and some water and they left the cave. May had been lost in the cave for 54 hours.
Foster reports that May was drinking on the way to the cave. Certainly his reported behavior was very bizarre. When found he was somewhat irrational and surely hypothermiated. Perhaps he went from the irrationality of drinking directly to the irrationality of hypothermia and never had the sense to contact his would-be rescuers. He told Foster of 'dreaming of climbing over a stone slab roof of a house and the police were chasing him.'
There is now better awareness of the necessities of cave rescue by the Search and Rescue personnel at El Paso and better coordination with cavers. May owes his life to Foster's dedication.
James May was separated from his group after an argument and subsequently got lost in Huccacove Cave. He survived 54 hours without proper gear before being rescued.