| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas, Joe | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Greer, Richard | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Ling, Roger | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Bogle, Frank | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Luther, Doug | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Ball, Bryan | 18 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Holladay, Ed | 20 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Hodson, Jim | 42 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Loveless, Sue | 32 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Pride, Tom | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
On February 19, 1983 a group of ten cavers entered October Ten Cave in Savage Cove, west of McMinville, Tennessee. This included Joe Douglas (late 20's), Richard Greer (late 20's), Roger Ling, Frank Bogle, Tom Pride (early 20's), Doug Luther, Bryan Ball (18), Ed Holladay (20), Jim Hodson (42) and Sue Loveless (32). Although this was only the fourth trip into the cave, the weather had been dry for the past month so some apparently expected dry conditions. Three had wet suit tops, one had a full wet suit but the rest were relying on wool clothes and garbage bags and had dry shirts or sweaters to put on after the entrance sewers. Despite the lack of rain the flow at the entrance was much greater than before. It was impossible to get into the entrance, a small hole at the bottom of a sinkhole, without getting soaked. Inside, dry passage leads quickly to a 43 foot pit. From the bottom of this another dry passage leads to a waterfall dome where the continuation is a stream crawl for 200 feet to a series of wet climb-downs, of 15, 10 and 7 feet. A wet bellycrawl then leads 20 feet to 20 feet of narrow canyon, and a 24 foot, wet pit. From the bottom of this there is a climb up flowstone into the main borehole of the cave.
At the 24 foot pit the rope was rigged to a rock the cavers had jammed into a crack and several chert projections, with the rope hanging in the water spray. Several had descended when some of the rig point failed, dropping a caver a foot or so. They called up to have the rigging checked. Another descended, but when Richard Greer, the last, got over the lip, he suddenly dropped ten feet, his head hitting the wall. He was 'left hanging upside-down in the waterfall, dazed. Then more of the rigging failed, and he fell to the bottom.
The others heard the fall and quickly reached the victim who was bleeding from the wrist and mouth. His hard hat and lamp were retrieved and they climbed into the dry borehole. Greer was apparently OK, so they proceeded with their explorations and mapping.
After some time two headed out: Greer who was quite sore and Roger Ling who had been sick most of the prior week and was starting to feel weak. Ling twisted his ankle in a hasty rappel down the flowstone from the dry borehole but could still walk. At the 24 foot pit, Ling ascended to find the chockstone still holding but most of the chert projections had failed. Since they were getting cold, they continued on out, Greer using an emergency flashlight since his carbide striker was wet. At 6:15 p.m. they reached the cars.
Tom Pride started up with a system using two knots and a shoulder Gibbs. The climb was in the waterfall and Pride had not climbed in water before. He passed a ledge ten feet below the top, slowed and then stopped about five feet from the lip as his strength gave out and his hands and arms became numb and useless. Joe Douglas tried to talk him up, then down. Realizing the victim's helplessness and danger, hanging as he was directly in the water flow, Douglas got on rope and went up to help him.
At the ledge he got partly off rope, worked Pride's system and got him down to the ledge. Pride was 'disoriented and convinced he was going to die.' He was rigged for rappel and descended with a bottom belay regulating his speed. He was then helped up the flowstone slope to a dry, sandy spot where he was dressed in dry clothes and garbage bags, given hot food and water, and put between two persons for warmth. He recovered significantly but it was obvious he would need outside help to get out.
Douglas, meanwhile, continued to the top of the 24, arriving with no arm strength and quite chilled. Ed Holladay climbed up and he and Douglas started out to get help. Douglas quickly proved too weak and was sent back to stay with the others. Holladay reached the first two, at the cars, at about 8 p.m.
The calls for help were made and by 1 a.m. it arrived in force. This included The Nashville Grotto Cave Rescue Team, local rescue squads, civil defense, State Police, etc. Rescuers began entering at 3 a.m. and worked to rig the drops and climbs with the rope out of the water flow. Wetsuits, heat sources and hot food were taken in to ready the victims for exit. A hot air respirator was set up at the entrance to deal with hypothermia victims. The cavers caring for Pride were found to be in relatively good condition, however, and all were out by 10 a.m. (February 20). Body temperatures were down but only one, with 92 degree temperature, used the hot air respirator. Greer had suffered a mild concussion.
It may be that this group was too large for proper, expeditious movement through a wet-pitch series. Further, you are clearly taking chances when cavers who are inexperienced, weak from sickness and/or inequipped enter a wet cave.
The rigging at the 24 foot drop can be said to be faulty since on partial failure large amounts of slack had to be taken up by the remaining anchor points. One can rig to multiple points without producing slack on partial failure. Also, since it was known from the previous trip that there were no decent natural anchors at the 24, a bolt kit should have been brought. Hanging it out on chert nodules is for original push trips, not for a ten-man mapping party.
Still, in the face of difficulties, this party handled itself very well and was complimented by rescuers for having kept themselves warm and for being in relatively good shape for exiting the cave. The rescue seemed to be well-manned, coordinated and expeditiously carried out.
Group of ten cavers with varying levels of preparation faced rigging issues and hypothermia, leading to a minor concussion for one caver and extended rescue efforts.