| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buesco, Hector | 32 | Male | Unknown | Not recorded |
On Sunday, 23 June, a group of about 15 people- men, women, and cildren- visited this cave in connection with the filming of a documentary picture. To enter, it was necessary for the group to don life preservers and wade or swim, with the aid of a life-line, to a landing in the National Geographic Hall.
While the group was leaving the cave, the water suddenly rose waist-deep in the period of a few minutes. Although most retreated to higher levels in the Hall, five persons went ahead and attempted to swim to the entrance. Four made it.
Hector Buesco (32) was swept away from the life-line by the current, along the bottom of the Tres Pueblos Sinkhole, and into the downstream entrance to the cave system. He was holding onto, but not wearing, a life preserver. An extensive search of the downstream portion of the cave failed to discover any sign of Buesco and he was presumed drowned.
Analyses: (Gurnee) Rio Camuy Cave can be dangerous and treacherous. The river is hardly predictable and certainly is no place for novices or mere visitors to enter without equipment and proper guidance. The first step toward this tragedy was taken when the group entered the cave with only life jackets and a life-line; tethered boats should have been used for the traverse to the first upstream landing. The second step was five persons leaving the cave without the permission of the leader. The third and most tragic step, was that not everyone wore their life-jackets while in the water. Buesco might possibly have been able to climb above the water (in the dark) if he had worn his.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.