Two drown in UK cave

[Wayne Harrison]

A DARLINGTON man and a female companion drowned in a flooded underground cave system when an expedition went tragically wrong.

The alarm was raised when the 33-year-old man's wife raised the alarm because he did not return.

His body and that of his 28-year-old female companion were discovered by a cave rescue team after a three hour search.

The tragedy happened in 350ft deep Alum Pot, part of a treacherous cave system in the Yorkshire Dales near the village of Selside.

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Two potholers drown as flash flood hits cave

Two potholers died after they were overcome by rapidly rising water in a cave often used by school children on outdoor adventure trips.

The 33-year-old man and the 28-year-old woman drowned as an underground stream, usually ankle deep, became swollen by heavy rain.

Emergency services were alerted at 1am by the man's wife when he failed to call home. The bodies were found two hours later.

Their bodies were found around 200ft from the entrance of the Long Churn cave, near Selside in the Yorkshire Dales National Park yesterday.

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[Squirrel Girl]

Man, that's sad.

Alum Pot is the cave whose photograph graces the cover of Beyond the Deep.

[paul]

Yes, it is sad and especially at this time of year.

Sadly we had a death here in Derbyshire on 2nd of December which also involved a short but wet pitch which wasn't as widely reported in the media. RIP.

[MDS]

Yes, it is sad and especially at this time of year.

Sadly we had a death here in Derbyshire on 2nd of December which also involved a short but wet pitch which wasn't as widely reported in the media. RIP.

Paul - I didn't get to hear about that! any chance you could PM me with an update?

Matt

Alum Pot is the cave whose photograph graces the cover of Beyond the Deep.

Alum Pot is one of the classic Yorkshire caves in the UK. Leading into it is the Upper & Lower Long Churn Cave system, any visiting cavers from outside UK MUST put it on their list of caves to do if they visit the Yorkshire Dales.

ATB - Matt S

[paul]

Yes, it is sad and especially at this time of year.

Sadly we had a death here in Derbyshire on 2nd of December which also involved a short but wet pitch which wasn't as widely reported in the media. RIP.

Paul - I didn't get to hear about that! any chance you could PM me with an update?

Matt
ATB - Matt S

The details as known on the Giants Hole death are on the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation Call-outs Page.

[Wayne Harrison]

An experienced caver and his companion who died after they were trapped by rising waters were named by police yesterday.

Stuart John Goodwill, 33, of Darlington, and Caroline Jane Fletcher, 28, of Riddlesden, Keighley, near Bradford, West Yorkshire, both drowned in a caving accident last week.

Their bodies were found by police and rescue teams following an overnight search after Mr Goodwill's wife raised the alarm at 12.20am on December 28.

She gave police directions to where she believed he and his companion had gone.

Their bodies were found after a three-hour search at the 350ft deep Alum Pot, near Selside, north of Horton in Ribblesdale, in the Yorkshire Dales.

Phil Haigh, duty controller of the Cave Rescue Organisation, said the cavers were experienced and had been caught out by rising water.

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