By News Sentinel staff
March 14, 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/2uknb2
MAYNARDVILLE — A 27-year-old man is in serious condition today at the University of Tennessee Medical Center after being rescued from a Union County cave.
Christopher Pique was rappelling in a cave off Hickory Valley Road when his rope broke, and he fell about 75 to 80 feet.
"They had an old rope tied to a tree," said Paulette Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Tony Owen. "It’s one they’d always used. The weather dry-rotted it, so it ended up breaking on them."
Pique suffered lacerations to his head and was airlifted by Lifestar about 1:30 a.m. today.
He and three friends were exploring in a cave when he fell about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, Owen said.
One of the men stayed in the cave while the others summoned help.
The men said they frequently visited the cave, Owen said. They were carrying flashlights and had a couple of headlamps.
The cave opening is not very large, Owen said, and it contains a couple of 30-foot dropoffs broken by ledges as well as some shorter drops.
Pique was descending when his rope broke, and he fell about 30 feet before striking a ledge and falling another 30 feet or so.
He struck the back of his head and was "in and out of consciousness," Owen said.
Rescuers from Paulette, the Maynardville Fire Department and the Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad hauled Pique out in a basket using rope and rigging equipment.
Owen’s advice about cave exploration: "Don’t do it.
"I feel unless you’re properly trained and have the proper equipment, stay out of it. It’s so unpredictable in there."
None of the rescuers was injured, Owen said.