by johnlhickman » Sep 7, 2013 9:57 pm
Larry,
I remember the write up in the ACA. From what I remember, a group of out of state cavers was visiting the cave. One of the cavers was using a Gibbs climbing system that I remember being illustrated in a Gibbs brochure. The climbing system had an upper ascender that was part of a chest harness but did not include any attachments to a seat harness. The top of the pit had an overhanging lip that the caver couldn't negotiate. Help was summoned but the caver had been hanging for some time. I don't know his condition when he was raised, but he subsequently died.
That is the jest of what happened. I visited the cave a few years later on our way back from Grassy Cove Saltpeter, the lip was a little tough but not difficult. I think the configuration of the climbing system and perhaps the size of the caver may have been the problem.
Hope this helps. The accident report certainly has more details.
John