| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moore, Dawn | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Moore, Paul | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Baade, Eric | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Dilley, Mark | 32 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
At 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, four cavers entered Doghill-Donnehue Cave in Indiana. They intended a through trip from Doghill to the Culvert Entrance of Donnehue Cave. This is a 55 degree stream cave with over three miles of mapped passage. Dawn and Paul Moore and Eric Baade had two years of caving experience but Mark Dilley (32) was a novice. They reportedly had appropriate clothing. The trip included several deep pools.
At about 9 p.m., about 2,000 feet short of the Donnehue Culvert, Dilley was attempting a difficult "S" bend when he became stuck. He was on his right side, with his right arm extended, upper body higher than his legs. He had managed to get his chest past a ledge but couldn't get his pelvis past, or his chest back. Fortunately the Moores were in front and Baade behind and the tight section opened up quickly on either side so that they had access to the ledge.
Dawn Moore and Baade exited, obtained a hammer and chisel from a nearby farm and called the Bedford Fire Department. Fire department personnel arrived at about 10:30 p.m. and Eric Baade and a fireman re-entered the cave with the hammer and chisel, a long-handled sledge and a pry-bar.
At about 11 p.m. Paul Moore and three other cavers entered to lend assistance. The victim, though damp from a dip in a pool prior to the entrapment had suffered only occasional shivering.
An hour was spent chipping away part of the ledge before the victim was free. Dilley was nearly exhausted, however, and the usually short trip out took two and a half hours. He arrived at the entrance at 3:30 a.m.
Dr. Sloan believes "the level of exhaustion and its effects on their exit time is notable, because it seems out of proportion to the preceding situation. This may reflect some mild hypothermia, although the cavers deny other symptoms to support this. Other possible contributing factors are dehydration and lack of adequate nutrition. The party had not eaten well prior to the trip and did not take any food underground (expecting a short cave trip)."
Noel also points out that "getting stuck is a problem which seems more common with novice cavers. This probably reflects a lack of experience in caving technique combined with fatigue."
The getting stuck and the fatigue may well be related to the caver being a novice. it is easy to forget that the novice will generally spend more energy than an experienced caver in every phase of caving. When he becomes trapped, he is also less able to cope psychologically. In short, a novice should be expected to have problems and, as much as possible, this should be allowed for.
Mark Dilley, a novice caver, became stuck in a difficult section of Doghill-Donnehue Cave. The incident resulted in mild hypothermia and exhaustion, likely exacerbated by dehydration and lack of adequate nutrition.