| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pisarowicz, Jim | 34 | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
In March of 1985 a group was on a week-long camp at Isopod River in the Purificacion system in the highlands southwest of Monterrey, Mexico. On March 19, after several days in the cave, a group of three went to the Nile River to photograph after a surveying shift. Jim Pisarowicz (34) was positioning himself to provide a desired flash angle when he slipped. He caught himself with his gloved right hand on sharp eroded flowstone. A spine of this flowstone penetrated the glove, then broke, leaving a piece lodged in the hand. The fragment proved to be in very deep - it could not be removed at the accident scene by use of Swiss army knives or at camp where tweezers and needles were available. For the next two days the wound was bathed in hot water every couple of hours and antiseptic was forced into it; tetracycline was taken orally. Pisarowicz left the cave on the 22nd under his own power with his equipment divided among his companions. Back in Texas the fragment had to be removed surgically. The accident also severed a sensory nerve and Pisarowicz has no feeling in parts of his right hand thumb and palm.
Just because one is 'only' taking photos and not doing serious exploration doesn't mean one doesn't have to be aware. This seemingly simple accident proved very disabling and costly. Accidents to hands and feet are potentially crippling due to the concentration of nerves and tendons. Amateur surgery should be avoided and competent aid sought quickly.
Jim Pisarowicz injured his hand on sharp flowstone while photographing in Sistema Purificacion, requiring surgical removal of the fragment in Texas.