| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennecke, Bob | 20 | Male | Laceration | Knee |
On 6 December Terry Pitchford (23), Ron Kistner (18), Gary Schaecher (22), Bob Bennecke (20) and Ron Bennecke (18) entered Rimstone River Cave at about 11 a.m. for the purpose of mapping an upstream side passage. The weather was cold with several inches of snow on the ground. Showers were forecast; this was taken into consideration as it was known that large portions of the cave flooded in heavy rains.
At about 2 p.m. the party reached the side passage (a mile in) and placed their inflatable boats about 40 feet above water. After surveying about 3000 feet of the passage, at 6:25 p.m., they noticed that the stream volume had increased considerably. While discussing whether or not they should head out or continue to survey, the water was observed to rise 4 inches. They decided to head farther in where the ceiling was high and large dry ledges could be found. Hurrying on, they encountered difficulty with high water, deep pools and falls. The water temperature had dropped to about 35°F.
At about 6:50 p.m. Bob Bennecke slipped and fell when a shale ledge broke. His knee cap was exposed and he bled profusely but the group continued on until they reached what appeared to be a safe area. Kistner and Ron Bennecke went on to look for a possible second entrance as passages in the area were known to be near the surface. Bob Bennecke's cut was bandaged. After the exploring party returned, unsuccessful, at about 1 a.m., it was decided that they should try to leave the cave: if they had not returned by 6 a.m., the remaining three would follow.
Pitchford, Schaecher and Bob Bennecke slept fitfully and then started out at 6 a.m. The last bit of passage prior to reaching the boat had only six inches of air space. The others had gone ahead. Near the entrance they had to climb a 35 foot ladder up through what had become a roaring torrent. They reached the surface at 11 a.m. Kistner and Ron Bennecke had contacted other cavers and a back-up crew was ready to start out if the three had not appeared by noon.
Source: Gary Schaecher
(Schaecher) The cause of the accident was excessive speed in traversing a passage with tricky footing. The only possible preventative measure would have been a better respect for melting snow, which it turned out was the cause of the water rise. It was, of course, very fortunate that the injury did not incapacitate Bob Bennecke, necessitating his being carried. Plans have been made for placing survival kits in areas of the cave where teams may become trapped by high water. Also, stricter limits on trips into caves that flood will be set when weather conditions are poor.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.