Post by Taylor on Jan 27, 2006 7:46:27 GMT -5
Men Rescued from Lost Creek Cave in Georgia
01/26/06 The Catoosa County News
Five men and a puppy were lost inside a cave in Catoosa County after their flashlight died and were found cold, but unharmed early Wednesday morning thanks to the expertise of the Walker County Cliff-Cave Rescue Team.
After 15 hours inside the 3,519 ft. Lost Creek Cave, referred to as "Suckhole" by locals because of the underground spring it contains, the men were relieved to see the ten rescuers appear, according to Walker County Fire & Rescue Chief Randy Camp. Sandra Gordy, stepmother of one of the cavers, said that they had been in the cave many times before and knew what they were doing. "The problem was that they didn't have enough light, their flashlight burnt out on them and they became disoriented. The best thing for them to do was to stay put, which is what they did."
Ty Johnson, Syrus Gordy III, Kenneth Eares, Bradley White, another young man and a brown puppy named Rooster went out to the cave after the men left work Tuesday. Sandra Gordy said the families became worried sometime around midnight when they realized the five men were together. "We started asking questions and (found out) they were supposed to have gone caving. My husband (Syrus Gordy, Jr.) got dressed and he decided to go check the caves out. He found their stuff on the outside of the cave, therefore, we knew they were in there and that something was wrong," she said. Rooster's leash was found right outside of the cave's entrance, according to Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Lt. Steve Quinn. He said the cave is located along the Chickamauga Creek.
According to Quinn, the Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Department was contacted around 1 a.m. and the Walker County Cliff-Cave and Rescue Team was called immediately. Randy Camp said the team located the cavers around 4:45 a.m. and had the area cleared by 6 a.m. A systematic approach was used to locate the men. At first glance, the cave resembles a rock shelter with an arched entrance and a flat floor. But to actually enter the cave, the team had to lie down on their stomachs and squeeze in; the opening was not even big enough to crawl, according to Captain Diane Cousineau. They did not have a map of the cave at the time, but Cousineau knew that because of the geology of caves found in this part of Catoosa County the cave was most likely small and maze-like. "Caves are as different as people," she said, some caves in Walker County have vertical climbs and more depth.
Because of the geology of this cave, she was able to predict the route the men had taken. The team used a method called "hasty search." Once the team was inside the cave, they divided up into sub-teams. Each sub-team took ten minutes to search a different area and then reported back on what they found. To indicate which team had been where, they used different colors of flagging, said Cousineau. They also had to carry in field phones because wireless communication cannot be used from inside the cave. One team member was stationed at the mouth of the cave to hold open the lines of communication between family members and rescuers. As they moved deeper into the cave, Cousineau left a team member at each major junction. One sub-team returned reporting signs of traffic. At that time, Cousineau called the team back together and proceeded; at which point the cavers were located.
The men, and Rooster, were glad to be found and happy to see their families again. Cousineau said the men were stranded because they had insufficient equipment. She recommends that recreational cavers have a quality helmet that has been approved by the Climbing Association, three sources of light (ideally you should be able to mount two of those lights on your helmet so that your hands are free), sturdy hiking boots, food, water, appropriate clothing and a good backpack. She added that gloves might come in handy, as
well as extra batteries for light sources. It's important to consider the temperature of the cave you will be entering as well. According to Cousineau, caves take on the average of the high and low ambient
temperatures of the region they are found in. Caves located at higher
altitudes and in the north are naturally colder. The temperature in Lost Creek Cave is approximately 56 degrees year-round. Chief Randy Camp is very proud of his volunteer rescue team. Cousineau and her team train once a week and complete a couple of mock scenarios per year. Cousineau said she is a member of the team because having the particular skills needed and volunteering is the natural way to help others.
news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=724&NewsID=692575&CategoryID=3418&show=localnews&om=1
01/26/06 The Catoosa County News
Five men and a puppy were lost inside a cave in Catoosa County after their flashlight died and were found cold, but unharmed early Wednesday morning thanks to the expertise of the Walker County Cliff-Cave Rescue Team.
After 15 hours inside the 3,519 ft. Lost Creek Cave, referred to as "Suckhole" by locals because of the underground spring it contains, the men were relieved to see the ten rescuers appear, according to Walker County Fire & Rescue Chief Randy Camp. Sandra Gordy, stepmother of one of the cavers, said that they had been in the cave many times before and knew what they were doing. "The problem was that they didn't have enough light, their flashlight burnt out on them and they became disoriented. The best thing for them to do was to stay put, which is what they did."
Ty Johnson, Syrus Gordy III, Kenneth Eares, Bradley White, another young man and a brown puppy named Rooster went out to the cave after the men left work Tuesday. Sandra Gordy said the families became worried sometime around midnight when they realized the five men were together. "We started asking questions and (found out) they were supposed to have gone caving. My husband (Syrus Gordy, Jr.) got dressed and he decided to go check the caves out. He found their stuff on the outside of the cave, therefore, we knew they were in there and that something was wrong," she said. Rooster's leash was found right outside of the cave's entrance, according to Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Lt. Steve Quinn. He said the cave is located along the Chickamauga Creek.
According to Quinn, the Catoosa County Fire & Rescue Department was contacted around 1 a.m. and the Walker County Cliff-Cave and Rescue Team was called immediately. Randy Camp said the team located the cavers around 4:45 a.m. and had the area cleared by 6 a.m. A systematic approach was used to locate the men. At first glance, the cave resembles a rock shelter with an arched entrance and a flat floor. But to actually enter the cave, the team had to lie down on their stomachs and squeeze in; the opening was not even big enough to crawl, according to Captain Diane Cousineau. They did not have a map of the cave at the time, but Cousineau knew that because of the geology of caves found in this part of Catoosa County the cave was most likely small and maze-like. "Caves are as different as people," she said, some caves in Walker County have vertical climbs and more depth.
Because of the geology of this cave, she was able to predict the route the men had taken. The team used a method called "hasty search." Once the team was inside the cave, they divided up into sub-teams. Each sub-team took ten minutes to search a different area and then reported back on what they found. To indicate which team had been where, they used different colors of flagging, said Cousineau. They also had to carry in field phones because wireless communication cannot be used from inside the cave. One team member was stationed at the mouth of the cave to hold open the lines of communication between family members and rescuers. As they moved deeper into the cave, Cousineau left a team member at each major junction. One sub-team returned reporting signs of traffic. At that time, Cousineau called the team back together and proceeded; at which point the cavers were located.
The men, and Rooster, were glad to be found and happy to see their families again. Cousineau said the men were stranded because they had insufficient equipment. She recommends that recreational cavers have a quality helmet that has been approved by the Climbing Association, three sources of light (ideally you should be able to mount two of those lights on your helmet so that your hands are free), sturdy hiking boots, food, water, appropriate clothing and a good backpack. She added that gloves might come in handy, as
well as extra batteries for light sources. It's important to consider the temperature of the cave you will be entering as well. According to Cousineau, caves take on the average of the high and low ambient
temperatures of the region they are found in. Caves located at higher
altitudes and in the north are naturally colder. The temperature in Lost Creek Cave is approximately 56 degrees year-round. Chief Randy Camp is very proud of his volunteer rescue team. Cousineau and her team train once a week and complete a couple of mock scenarios per year. Cousineau said she is a member of the team because having the particular skills needed and volunteering is the natural way to help others.
news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=724&NewsID=692575&CategoryID=3418&show=localnews&om=1
