Joined: Sept 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 316 Location: Keavy, KY
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #1 on Nov 26, 2006, 7:28pm »
MORE INFO ON CAVE DEATH!
A rescue mission to find Edward Martin of Cincinnati sadly turned into a recovery mission Saturday, after he fell off a ledge while caving with some friends near Tateville.
To area cavers, Edward Martin was no stranger to the Slones Valley Cave area, especially around Thanksgiving. John Lamar Cole says for the last 15 years the Cincinnati man came to the area, with a group of friends, who would join others in exploring the caves. "They certainly knew the cave system and they knew physically where to go. It's sad. He was a nice guy." Said Cole.
Officials say Martin was the last, in a group of four, making their way out of a cave when he fell to his death. Officials estimate Martin fell some 20 to 30 feet. "One of the gentleman close with him said he believed he was leaning over, or tried to jump over, and possibly missed a ledge. Mr. Martin was at the second ledge, the bottom of 25 feet." Pulaski County Coroner Richard New says rescuers had to use a harness to pull Martin's body out of the narrow cave. For now, he can only speculate on the cause of death. "Could have had a heart attack or hit his throat or something of that nature." Said New.
Sadly, folks say Martin didn't have any of the proper safety gear which could have saved his life. "None of this would have happened had those basic principals been followed. Good gear usage and proper techniques would have avoided this death entirely." Said John Lamar Cole.
Officials don't know if alcohol was involved, but they say Martin's body has been taken to Frankfort for an autopsy.
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #2 on Nov 27, 2006, 12:33pm »
Here is another article on this very sad and tragic accident. Condolances to his family and friends.
Cave mishap kills Cincinnati man
A Cincinnati man is dead after a falling down a narrow and jagged cave shoot near Burnside, Ky.
Edward Martin, 40, was considered an experienced caver.
Witnesses told the Pulaski County coroner that the group of seven arrived at the Garbage Pit, an area within the Sloan Valley Cave system around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
When leaving, Martin and three others opted to leave the cave through what cavers call the Screaming Willie, a narrow hole that a caver must climb close to 60 feet straight up to get out.
Three people ahead of Martin made it out safely.
At about the midway point, Martin either slipped or missed the edge that he was reaching for and fell about 30 feet.
Coroner Richard New said it is not clear if the fall killed Martin because of the lack of physical trauma at the scene. “We just don’t know,” he said.
Martin’s body was taken to the Frankfort Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy is being performed. Results should be available Tuesday.
New said Martin was not wearing a helmet and was free climbing – without a harness.
“If he was wearing a helmet or a harness it could have made the difference, if it (his death) was in fact due to the accident,” New said.
He said the three other people with Martin’s group had earlier decided not to leave the cave through the Screaming Willie hole because they considered it too dangerous.
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #3 on Nov 29, 2006, 9:25am »
Here's another article concerning this cave accident. Our condolences to the family and friends.
Price Hill man dies in cave accident
It was a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for the past dozen years.
Edward Martin and several of his buddies traveled 175 miles south to Pulaski County, Ky., to explore caves.
"He loved caving," said Martin's mother, Amelia Sousa of Cheviot. "If he could have lived down there, he would have. The trip was something he and his friends did every Thanksgiving."
But the tradition turned tragic this year when Martin fell about 25 feet inside a narrow, jagged rock passageway to his death Saturday.
"I saw him lose his grip and fall," said Douglas Meyer, 33, of Price Hill. "It is the worst memory in my mind."
Meyer said before the accident, he and Martin had been "free climbing" - going through caves without ropes, harnesses or helmets.
"It was somewhat dangerous," said Meyer. "I would advise ropes and harness. I would not do it again without rope. I probably will keep my distance from there in the future."
Martin, 40, of East Price Hill, was an experienced caver who was familiar with the 56-foot deep pit that resembles a well in the Sloan's Valley cave system about 15 miles south of Somerset.
"He had climbed out of there many times before," said Meyer. "We knew what we were getting into."
Martin and Meyer were among a group of seven people who had started exploring caves about 3:30 p.m. Saturday and were winding up their expedition at about 6:30 p.m.
Three of the cavers decided to exit the way they had entered and four, including Martin and Meyer, decided to climb up the 56-foot vertical pit that contains a section cavers call "Screaming Willie."
"It is very dangerous," said Jim McWhorter, the Pulaski County chief deputy coroner who was summoned to the cave Saturday night.
After a rescue squad used pulleys and ropes to lift Martin's body from the cave floor, McWhorter pronounced Martin dead at the scene.
"He fell through a real narrow passageway of jagged rocks, hitting the rocks even before he hit the floor of the cave," said McWhorter. "He suffered massive internal injuries of the head and chest."
John Cole of Lexington, a director of the board of governors of the National Speleological Society, claims to know the Sloan's Valley caves better than anyone else. He said it was the first known fatality in the 27-mile long system.
"This was a needless tragedy," said Cole, who was caving nearby at the time of the accident and was a member of a standby rescue team. "This accident should never have happened.
"With climbing equipment like a rope and helmet, this pit is a piece of cake. Without equipment, it is very dangerous."
Martin, who had attended Western Hills High School and was single, was a laborer for Bokey's Cleaning Service.
Caving - the one activity that really brings you to your knees!
Joined: Sept 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 2,264 Location: TAG
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #4 on Nov 29, 2006, 7:06pm »
Don't ya just hate it when needless tragedy occurs. As cavers we take certain risks and usually avoid harsh consequences. But it only takes one slip, trip, or oops to ruin a perfectly good caving career.
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #5 on Nov 29, 2006, 8:05pm »
Dude I heard something about this. Total bummer man. Was he like at least wearing a helmet? Seems like I read he didn't have one on. Condoleneces to friends and family. Stuff like this bums me out.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 8 Location: Mentor, OH
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #7 on Dec 3, 2006, 10:03pm »
I was camping, along with many other cavers a short distance from where this incident occurred. We were amongst the first to hear about the fall, when the landowner’s (who owns the property next to the entrance) daughter came down to the group fire pit and told us about the fall. While I have no comments on the accident or the decisions that lead to it, I do have to mention the quick response of the rescuers. Within a few short minutes of hearing of the accident, several groups of cavers and climbers grabbed their gear and raced to the scene. A few minutes later, the EMS and fire rescue vehicles started showing up. Unfortunately, due to the injuries, nothing could have been done to save the person’s life, but from what I saw, they did their absolute best at trying.
I’ve always used a rope on that entrance while going either up and down. I even went down it several hours earlier. However, I know of many people who have free climbed it - I even spoke to 4 people earlier that day that did it. While it may seem fairly easy to climb (and it is), one slip and you’re gone…Period. Hopefully, because of this accident, people will think more about the possible consequences before they take risk of free climbing it.
I didn’t know Eddie, but I’m so sorry for his friends and family. This is a tragic accident that didn’t need to occur, but could easily have happened to many of us who don’t put safety first.
When a friend and I repelled down Screaming Willy’s earlier that day, it was on a military climbing rope with plenty of wear, and I was wearing a hard hat, not a climbing helmet. That will never happen again. I’ll be getting a “real” helmet and a “real” static line rope before I ever go down to Sloan’s or anywhere else. This accident finally made me realize that saving money is not worth my life. I’m going to start putting my safety first, regardless of price.
Re: Caver Dies in Sloans Valley Cave, Kentucky « Reply #8 on Dec 4, 2006, 10:34am »
Good judgment usually comes from bad experience. Welcome to the discussion board Andy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the accident.
It's amazing just how important a good helmet can be. I was helping a college group down a chimney in Huccas cave, yesterday. A good size rock bounced off my helmet and left quite a mark. It didn't even feel that bad when it hit, but it sure got my attention. At the time the girl above me asked if I was OK, and I answered back "Thats why we wear helmets." After looking at the damage it did to the finish of my nice shiny Grivel helmet, I knew how lucky I was to have it on. It not only gouged it, it cut the strap on my headlight. I kind of doubt my construction hard hat could have taken the hit with such ease. Nothing like a bleeding head wound in a dusty cave.
I have several different climbing helmets and the comfort of the Grivel is by far, the best. Petzl makes a couple of good helmets, and seem to be the caver choice around here. I have an El Cap Kevlar, but the headband adjustment is annoying and continuously loosens. Watch out for the really cheap climbing helmets. Some of them I wouldn't even use as a loaner. It seams you get what you pay for in a good helmet.
![[Search This Thread]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/sendtopic.gif "[Send Topic To Friend]")
![[Print]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author![[avatar]](http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/1324/2566602468b07dcc2b71svx9.jpg "[avatar]")
![[msn]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/msn.gif "[msn]")
![[homepage]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif "[homepage]")
Logged![[avatar]](http://www.bitsforpets.com/images/all_mouse.gif "[avatar]")
![[avatar]](http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h63/pretzlgirl/smlynnavatar.jpg "[avatar]"){kind=avatar}
![[avatar]](http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9461/drbeanerstenavor9.jpg "[avatar]")
![[avatar]](http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4814/yinyang1pq.gif "[avatar]")
