| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sproles, Chris | 19 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
At 2 p.m. on May 20, 1983, two cavers entered Morril's Cave in Tennessee. They explored for a while in the basically horizontal cave, then started out. They were going out by a different route when Chris Sproles (19), trying to descend a ledge, lost his footing and fell. He landed abruptly, fracturing both ankles. His companion went for help. The Avoca Fire Department and Bluff City Rescue Squad responded. NCRC was also alerted. The victim was evacuated with the victim giving route direction to the rescuers.
The victim reports that he was using new boots without lug soles. It also sounds like he was moving vertically without three points of support. Also, when climbing, one should mentally anticipate a fall and try to be ready to land in such a way as to minimize injury.
Chris Sproles (19) fell while descending a ledge due to new boots without lug soles, fracturing both ankles.