| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mundo, John | 73 | Male | Potential cracked skull, potential dislocated shoulder | Head, shoulder |
Arizona, Agua Caliente Cave
Sunday, 25 June 1972
Several groups of people, including 26 members and guests of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club, were exploring the very popular Agua Caliente Cave. This group, which ranged in age from 13 to over 70, had no one in charge and only two or three of its members had ever been in the cave before. The group had hand-lined down an 80-foot pit despite recommendations of area cavers. Hiking club member John H. Mundo (73), who was in the lead, had gotten through the last crawlway and was starting to climb down to the bottom of the 10-foot exit pit when he slipped and fell. He fell or slid down the wall on his shoulder and hit the floor with his forehead. Mundo was not wearing a hard hat and had been carrying a flashlight. Mundo had fallen about 3:00 p.m. yet when an NSS caver arrived an hour later, the club still had no definite rescue plans. The Southern Arizona Rescue Association was contacted and arrived at 6:15 p.m., just in time to meet the injured man who had climbed out under his own power. He may have suffered a cracked skull and a dislocated shoulder.
Analysis: The hiking club had too many inexperienced members along who evidently had little idea about caving safety, equipment, or techniques.
Source: Report by Joseph Lieberz
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.