| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiara, Joe | 15 | Male | Multiple | Multiple |
On 28 May, at about 12:30 p.m., a party of six cavers, Phil Gettel (25), Lee Gettel (23), Jim Young (17), Joe Chiara (15), Dale Ibberson (20) and Jay Herbein (33), entered Breathing Cave for a planned trip through the New Section to the waterfall. All but two of the party had been in the cave several times before. They proceeded slowly, exploring side passages, and reached the Cathedral Passage shortly before 2 p.m.
The Cathedral Passage is a canyon 300 feet long, with a high ceiling. There are two routes: the lower route, usually involving crawling and wet passages, is most frequently used; the upper route involves "canyon hopping" and some chimneying as several connections to the lower levels, about 50 feet below are crossed. The party chose the upper route.
The party began crossing the canyon past the "splattermite" climb. Four persons had already reached the end when Chiara started across. He was straddling the canyon, using ledges on both sides for footholds, when he apparently lost his footing and fell 50 feet to the lower level. The only sound he made was a brief "uh," at which Ibberson saw him falling. No one saw the cause of the fall.
The time was 2:00 p.m.
Young and Phil and Lee Gettel descended to Chiara and determined that he was badly injured. Herbein started for the surface for assistance while the others tried to make Chiara comfortable. Herbein, after asking cavers from another part at the surface to contact the Potomac Speleological Club fieldhouse, and the Cave Rescue Communications Network, returned with a rope, a blanket and a plastic sheet.
Chiara's breathing became fainter and fainter until, at 4:15 p.m., no chest movement or heart beat could be heard or felt. Artificial respiration efforts had no apparent effect. Lee Gettel and Ibberson had left the cave earlier. Some time after Chiara's apparent death the others left too, only Young remaining to direct the subsequent rescue parties.
Rescue groups started arriving shortly after 5 p.m. The recovery started at 7:30p.m., and was completed by 11:45 p.m. The Bath County Coroner stated that death resulted from concussion, plus a possible broken neck and internal injuries. There were extensive other injuries, including cuts, fractured wrist and dislocated leg.
Source: Phil and Lee Gettel, Jay Herbein, Dale Ibberson and Jim Young (York Grotto Newsletter, April-May 1967).
Analysis: (Bob Thrun) "The MSA Comfo Cap provided no head protection, even though the chinstrap held it on. The nature of the injuries were such that the boy would have died even with better head protection. Others wearing similar hard hats should be aware that they function mainly as a lamp carrier, rather than as a head protector.
"Are we overestimating our novices? We should always watch and guard our companions, especially if they are much less experienced than we are. Many are unsure and shaky when they encounter a tough cave or a tricky climb for the first time. Chiara was neither skilled nor experienced. Most parties going through Breathing Cave take a route along the floor in the passage where he fell."
"Are we underestimating our caves? Breathing is considered fairly easy and many take novices to it. There are some who delight in taking novices through caves that are considered much more difficult. The boy was twenty minutes into the cave; it took over four hours to carry the body out, and it was handled roughly in the process. Carrying a live person out gently would have been almost impossible. It might have been necessary to set up a hospital room in the cave. This is a cave that is considered easy! (The Potomac Caver, June 1967).
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.