| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richards, Bob | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Shifflett, Pete | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Sinn, Keith | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Whitney, Chuck | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Moody, Ed | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Wheeler, Curt | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
On Memorial Day Weekend in 1982, a group of six, Bob Richards, Pete Shifflett, Keith Sinn, Chuck Whitney, Ed Moody and Curt Wheeler set out to visit Leviathan Cave, high on the side of Worthington Mtn. in Nevada. At about 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 30, they began the hike from their camp up to the large entrance. This hike included a 30 foot pitch on which some desire a belay.
The group arrived at the entrance between 12:30 and 1 p.m. and ate lunch before entering. A 50 foot rope was rigged on the entrance drop, a 30 foot climbable pitch. At about 1:10 p.m. Ed Moody (37) stood up, fainted and fell down this pitch, landing face down. Wheeler and Shifflett down climbed at once to Moody. He appeared to be unconscious and was having trouble breathing. Sinn and Whitney had the most medical training so they elected to stay with the victim while two of the other three went for help. At about 1:25, Moody regained consciousness, complaining of extreme pain in his back and having a wheeziness in his breathing. At 1:55 the two arrived at camp and left to get help. At a ranch they found no one and continued on to the town of Rachel, a few trailers and a Bar and Grill. The owners of the Bar and Grill had a phone number for a helicopter rescue service called "Flight for Life," which was quickly mobilized. At the cave, Moody appeared to be dying.
At 4:45 p.m. a chopper arrived, rearranged personnel and headed for the mountain at 4:50. At the cave entrance the chopper was unable to land, because of the excess weight. A nurse, Marshall and medical/rescue supplies, including a litter, were disembarked while hovering at the entrance and the chopper headed for a nearby mine to refuel for the hop to Las Vegas.
Moody was put in the litter, pulled up the 30 foot pitch and given an IV and oxygen. Everything was readied for the pick-up. At 6:45 the chopper hovered while the victim was placed aboard. Within minutes he was at a Las Vegas hospital.
Moody spent the following two days in the Critical Care Unit having suffered a ruptured spleen, a punctured lung and seven cracked ribs.
Moody was wearing his hard hat for the hike and suffered no head injuries in his fall. The fainting spell was due to the hike up to 8,000 feet, squatting down and abruptly standing up. Moody has recovered and resumed caving, minus his spleen.
Ed Moody fainted and fell 30 feet into Leviathan Cave, resulting in multiple injuries but survived after a helicopter rescue.