No injured cavers recorded.
On November 19, a group of 20 persons entered Clarksville Cave, in Clarksville, New York. These were ten mentally retarded adult clients of the Springfield Developmental Center (SDC), and ten adult staff members of Experiment With Travel (EWT). After exploring the upstream passage of the Ward's Section for about two hours, they headed for the Big Room to regroup before exiting. Just short of rejoining the group a female client of the SDC experienced an epileptic seizure, after falling in a rocky pool about one foot deep. A registered nurse of the EWT was near and quickly supported the victim and called for help. The victim was moved from the pool, her wet clothes removed and she was wrapped in available wool clothing and blankets before being secured to a scoop stretcher. An airway was maintained during the first and subsequent nine seizures, 35 to 45 seconds each. These involved movement of the head, face, arms and legs without incontinence and with spontaneous arousal after each. At a 25 foot, steep, narrow pitch, the stretcher would not fit and the victim had to be removed and passed up by hand.
Personally, I feel that caves should not be used for commercial endeavors other than tours. In this case, if it had not been for the EWT trip, the victim might never have entered a cave.
Epileptic seizure after a fall in Clarksville Cave.