2 Die Trapped in Cave

[Iceaxe]

2 University of Florida students die after getting trapped in cave during trip in Georgia mountains
BY Philip Caulfield
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, February 14th 2011, 4:51 PM
WESH Orlando

Michael Pirie, left, and Grant Lockenbach died on Saturday after they became stuck in a cave while trying to retrieve a bag someone dropped down a 120-foot hole in Ellison's Cave in northwest Georgia.

Two University of Florida students died over the weekend after they became trapped under a waterfall during a caving trip in the mountains of north Georgia.

Authorities in Walker County, Ga., said the two friends, Michael Pirie, 18, and Grant Lockenbach, 20, apparently died of hypothermia.

Rescuers worked for more than eight hours on Saturday to retrieve their bodies, which were still dangling from rappelling ropes they were using.

Pirie and Lockenbach were among 10 students from the university's Fellowship of Christian Athletes group who took the spelunking trip to Ellison's Cave, a 600-foot deep cavern located in Pigeon Mountain in northwest Georgia.

Rescuers said Lockenbach initially got stuck after rappelling down a 120-foot hole to retrieve a duffel bag that was accidentally dropped.

After he began calling for help, Pirie went after him and also became stuck, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The trapped men were able to communicate with their friends above for about 45 minutes before their voices grew faint and eventually faded away, rescuers said.

Authorities were awaiting autopsy reports, but said they believe the men froze to death in the frigid water that was pouring into the hole.

Local rescuers said the group had been caving during the day, but were under-equipped and ill-prepared for the trip.

Pirie and Lockenbach, along with several others, were wearing T-shirts and shorts, which were unlikely to keep them warm enough in a cave where the temperature is usually between 50 and 60 degrees, and the waterfalls are fed by melting snow.

"Ellison's is not a place for inexperienced, it

[canyoncaver]

Lots of discussion on the NSS page here:http://forums.caves.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=11416

[tanya]

so sad

[jman]

Here's some pics and info from caves.org

[Don]

Damn. Too young to realize the danger until it was too late. Tragic.

[Iceaxe]

ELLISON'S CAVE CALL-OUT FEBRUARY 12, 2011

On February 12, 2011 rescuers in Walker County, GA recovered the bodies of two men suspended in a waterfall at a 125 foot pit in Ellison's Cave. The men were members of a party of 5 men and 5 women who had come to visit the cave from Florida and to practice rappelling.

The first man, Mr. Grant Lockenbach, aged 20, rigged the drop in the waterfall rather than using the standard rigging point for the 125 foot drop known as the Warm Up Pit. He was reported to have rappelled into the pit to recover a pack that had been accidentally dropped to the bottom. Some time following this Mr. Pirie also rigged the waterfall and rappelled down in an apparent attempt to aid Mr. Lockenbach.

When the rescuers arrived they found the men were stranded on rope approximately 40 feet from the bottom of the drop near a ledge and directly in the waterfall. Rescuers did not measure Lockenbach's line, so it is unclear exactly how close to the bottom this rope came.

The first man down, Mr. Lockenbach was dressed in shorts, a short-sleeved shirt and tennis type shoes. He was wearing a military style self-tied seat harness. An auto lock carabiner held his ATC type rappel device, which was rigged to the main line. The main line was a soft black 3-lay rope. A handled ascender was clipped directly from his harness to his main line with a carabiner. An additional handled ascender, with no sling, was hanging from his harness by a carabiner. Mr. Lockenbach was not wearing a helmet or gloves. No light was found on his person.

The second man, Mr. Pirie was also dressed in shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and tennis type shoes. He was wearing a commercially sewn harness with an ATC type device for rappelling. A yellow/black accessory cord (approximately 5 millimeters or less) was rigged through the ATC device. Both ends of this cord were dangling below Mr. Pirie. One end of the cord had a 2 foot loop tied in it. Mr. Pirie had no ascending equipment with him. His helmet was suspended on a string underneath him, chin strap open. He had no gloves, and no light was found on his person.

A headlamp was found turned on lying on the ledge they were near, and an LED Mini-Mag was found turned on at the bottom of the pit.

It took a team of 35 persons to complete the recovery operation. WCES was dispatched at 2:24 p.m.; rescuers reached the caving party at approximately 3:58 p.m.; and command was terminated11:00 p.m. that night.

Foul play is not suspected by the Sheriff's office. Although the medical examiner's report has not been released it is believed both men died from hypothermia from being suspended in the cold water of the falls. Be safe,

[Deathcricket]

Hmmm... So he raps 125ft into a freezing waterfall, falling into a black void, with minimal lighting wearing t-shirt and shorts, and isn't even sure if he can reach the bottom, and has no way to climb back up? Are you kidding me? This isn't a tragedy, it was inevitable.