NCRC loses one of our own.

[Tim White]

It is with great sadness we report the loss of NCRC Instructor Wilfredo López.
As reported by Carlos Lao-Davila, Wilfredo López passed away yesterday. He along with other three veterans were leading a group of about 13 on a trip in Rio Camuy, Puerto Rico. Local newspaper reports that there was a sudden increase in the current of the river.

A news report can be found at:

http://www.endi.com/noticia/seguridad/noticias/fatal_gira_de_espeleologo/113366

Journalist and fellow NCRC Instructor Mimi Ortiz reports and give commentary on Wilfredo's life at:

http://www.endi.com/noticia/seguridad/noticias/wilfredo_y_la_naturaleza/113385

You can use one of several free translation services online such Google to translate the above.
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

Wilfredo attended NCRC Level 3 in Corydon, Indiana in 2004 and became a NCRC instructor in 2006.

Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

[Squirrel Girl]

That's a darn, sad, shame.

Here's what good translated Mimi's story as:

The Wilfredo young person Lopez, was an extraordinary explorer, montañista and diver. He was in addition, a great instructor. Like part of his profits in mountain climbing, he reached the top of tips like the Kilimanjaro. To such feat, he preceded a disciplined physical training to him, mental and technical. Like member of the Espeleológica Society of Puerto Rico, Wilfredo included/understood that its athletic capacity for the exploration of caves had to be complemented with technical knowledge of rescue in that very particular atmosphere of the total dark, retante surface of vertical obstacles and by where water bodies run in movement. Thus, one occurred to the task of training itself in the courses of the National Commission of Rescue in Caves, an organization without aims of profit composed by voluntary specialists, who operate in the United States, in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and some countries of Latin America. The past April, Wilfredo reached the level of instructor of this organization, behind participating in its seminaries during four years. “I never saw to a cave in the same way since I took these coursesâ€

[Evan G]

Very sad! Wherever you are, Wilfredo López.

[Stridergdm]

Damn. Wilfredo was a great guy. I took Level 3 in Indiana with him.

Good man. He was the patient on one of our evolutions... poor guy lay in the muck and got hypothermic as we struggled to get the rigging right. Had to send him out soon after.

A loss to the caving community for sure.

[Larry E. Matthews]

Reminds me of another, great caver who died in the same cave: Francis McKinney from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I don't remember the exact date, but it may have been the late 1970's.

If you can get your hands on it, "Discovery at the Rio Camuy" by Russell & Jeanne Gurnee is a great book. It was published in 1974.

Roy Davis, of Cumberland Caverns fame, rescued a National Geographic photographer there in the 70's, who almost drowned in a flood event. It must be a dangerous cave.

Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F