Martinsville woman rescued from Cave

[L Roebuck]

Martinsville woman rescued from cave
By Marcela Creps Bloomington Herald-Times

A Martinsville woman visiting a Monroe County cave had to be rescued after she fell down a deep hole.

Van Buren Fire Chief Tim Deckard said the family of four ventured to Coon Cave at the end of Spicer Lane around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. He said the woman slipped and fell approximately 30 to 40 feet into the cave. The woman hit her head and was unconscious.

Deckard said the man sent his two young boys to get help, initially asking them to grab a ladder they had seen down the road. “The father wanted a ladder to get into the cave, but it didn’t work,” Deckard said. The family then called 911 around 3:12 p.m.

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[Brian Roebuck]

I'm glad the rescue folks and cavers got her out OK. It sounded like she was in pretty serious trouble. It's another great example of why people should cave with helmets equipped with chin straps. In a fall they can and do protect your precious head!

[Tim White]

Anyone have more details on this? Who was the "independent caving rescue group" that is reported to have responded?

[L Roebuck]

Here's another article but it does not mention an "independent caving rescue group". It only mentions the Van Buren Fire Department, Monroe County Sheriff and Monroe County Emergency Management.

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Up from a hard fall
Woman recovering after weekend caving accident
By Sarah Goddard [e-mail]

It was to be their last caving trip of the summer.

Laurie Jarrett, 31, Martinsville, trekked to Coon Cave, at the end of Spicer Lane in Monroe County, with her husband, Tom, and her two stepsons.

"We've been to many caves," Jarrett said, "and never had a problem."

Her favorite spelunking site is Salamander Cave in Lawrence County.

But July 14 at Coon Cave, the Jarretts did have a problem.

Jarrett sustained injuries, including a head wound that required seven stiches, when she fell down a deep hole. It took her husband and rescue workers close to four hours to lift her out, Jarrett said.

It was a ten-minute walk from their car to Coon cave, Jarrett said. Her stepson - visiting with his brother from Illinois - rappelled down a hole in the cave first. No problem.

Jarrett was next. She hooked herself to the rappelling rope and began down the wall of the cave hole. She slipped when her foot came to a slick rock covered in moss, and all of the sudden Jarrett found herself hanging by the rope she had wrapped around her left bicep.

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[Brian Roebuck]

Those folks need to learn the basics of safe caving and would have avoided all that drama and pain. The use of helmets and proper rappelling equipment would have made her slip a minor laughable inconvenience instead of a near death injury.

To everyone out there reading this - caves are a very bad place to get injured in. Get the right training, join local caving clubs, and don't get in over your head on your caving abilities.

Be safe out there.