Natural deaths of cavers

[Plethodon]

Lets see.


Doc Lewis: (don't know the cause)

I herd Warren Lewis died related to heart. Was almost 90, though.

Most cavers I know have died of heart, stroke, compleacations of dibetes
one of Hep C (was nurse) like normal people. Don't know of elevated cancer cases. Many cavers seem to cluster like middle age men--stress deaths in their 60s or live forever. Like Barbara, accidents rate high to kill young cavers under 40/.

[Ralph E. Powers]

Lets see.

Fred Wefer: colon cancer
Frank Reid: heart attack
Ed Zwalocke: heart attack (I think, and with a family history)
Lowell Burkhead: possibly something connected with his diabetes, I'm not sure
Ransom Turner: seizure
Doc Lewis: (don't know the cause)



Who am I forgetting, that I knew? There are lots of cavers I've seen in the NSS obits, but I didn't know them or didn't know them well. Alas, I can probably think of more cavers I've know who've died caving.

There is also Daniel H. Clyde from Utah who was a dynamic caver and well loved in (our) community. He was mortally injured in a motorcycle accident and expired in the hospital several hours later. He is still sorely missed 10 years later. He is one of the few Utah cavers that has a cave named after him.

[eyecave]

........have you ever thought of how unimportant it iz how it iz that you die?..........it don't matter what sounds your croak dude........we all know the comprimizes we make with our health......our bad habits don't have to be pointed out by anybody....we know what they are......... :P

health iz complex.......our vocation should be more time consuming than our hobbies...,..our birth and growth ...hopefully more significant than its expression.....,..and unfortunately, genetics our ultimate downfall......

concern yourself with peace...... :arrow:

[eyecave]

:x has there been any cavers before the ones amentioned.......??????......it seems to me a lotta folk shudda died before the ones mentioned............lets research the unrecent deaths aussi........ :(who brought this topic up?????)........we don't care how we die..........don't we care how we die???how we die????.....we don't care! .........hmmmmmmmmmmm :(

[speloman]

I have to agree. It is so hard to tie natural deaths or a death to caving unless it was a trama in the cave. It is like smoking some people can live to 80 years before they die from smoking and some might not make it higher than 30 around there or even earlyer before developing COPD or other related illnesses. I look at it this way when it is my time to go it will be my time. From what it looks in many of the other post that I have read with the names of others deaths don't apear to be "Cave Cause" Deaths. They May have been well known cavers but I can't see their deaths tied with caving. But I don't know these people and their condition. Well I said enough. I don't want to get into it any more than I have. Cave Softly.

[eyecave]

actually you almost have to define the cateogory of death causes you wish to investigate first....like respiratory-related or rare conditions.....many factors would effect results...the amount of total time spent underground or frequency of going underground...age at onset of caving....age at death and last active period of caving......and many many more......jeez....with the small population i wonder whether or not a significant trend that would lead to an "answer" would be possible......

over and over the question i have seen that cavers keep raising is about respiratory cancers and cavers...has there been a published study on that question?....i think a productive study would probably show a slight increase in vehicular deaths, because of driving to caves..., and a general increase in accidental deaths that would be only very very slightly more than the general population...

another interesting question is whether or not cavers suffer from and define those events that do not kill but physically stress the average caver.....like, cavers are more likely to suffer both hyper and hypothermia more often,....do without water and food, choose not to rest when tired, stuff like that.....