| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dart, Gary | 30 | Male | Bone gouge, muscle damage | Arm |
Gary E. Dartt (30), Bruce W. Smith (24) and Charles Byers (17) discovered a virgin area of Hellhole Cave about 400 feet below the entrance. On starting out, Smith prusiked up the 50-foot pit they had just found. While unrigging, Smith inadvertently dislodged a 50-pound rock upon which he had been standing. Dartt was below rigging his Gibbs ascenders. Smith shouted, "Rock!", and Dartt lunged to get out of the way but was hit on the arm by the falling rock. Byers was clear of the drop and was not injured by the rockfall. Dartt's arm was badly cut. It was later learned that the rock had gouged the bone and ripped the muscle from the bone. After resting 10 to 15 minutes, Dartt ascended the rope. His arm was then secured to his side to act as a splint. With the assistance of Smith and Byers, the victim crawled to the entrance room. He ascended the 155- foot entrance drop by 3 p.m., 2 hours after the accident.
Analysis: The sloping area at the top of the pit had many loose rocks and was especially treacherous because it was virgin. If the group had spent more time cleaning the loose rocks from the edge or if Dartt had waited until Smith had moved farther back from the edge, the accident might have been prevented.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.