| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herald, Anthony | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Stake, George | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Kawa, Alex | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
At 11:30 a.m. on February 14, 1983 three cavers entered the vertical entrance of Pine Hill Cave in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. These were Anthony Herald, George Stake, and Alex Kawa. They intended to exit via a horizontal entrance to the passages connecting to the bottom of the 165 foot pit they had just descended. The passage leading to this lower entrance was soon found to be well-plugged with debris. They spent some time digging, then tried to make their way back up the rope. None had brought vertical gear, however, and attempts at making an ascending rig from excess main line proved futile. They sat down to wait. They had ample food and light but there was a steady fall of water from above and 3-4 inches of water on the floor.
Friends knew of their plans so when they failed to show up later, a search was organized. The three were found at 9:30 a.m. on the 15th, and within an hour had been evacuated. They were treated for hypothermia at a local hospital and released.
One should try to be prepared for retreat from a proposed through-trip. Fortunately, this group left word and had extra food and light. If excess main line or any other sling material is available, the helical knot is a good one to know, since it can be made to work with almost any combination of sling and main line rope sizes.
Three cavers became stranded inside Pine Hill Cave due to inadequate vertical gear and inability to ascend the rope. They were eventually rescued and treated for hypothermia.