American Caving Accidents

2005 Accident and Incident Reports on File
26 reports on file

Last update: February 18, 2007

Report a Caving Accident or Incident!

Copyright © 2006 National Speleological Society
All Rights Reserved
Do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise, without permission.

The current file of reports for 2005 includes the incidents listed below. In some cases the reports are incomplete. If you have information about such incidents or about an incident which is not listed here, please contact the ACA Editor at aca@caves.org or use the online accident report form to report it.

Incidents listed in red are those for which the file is incomplete. The standard information required for an ACA incident summary is listed in the style guide.

 2005 Incidents

Date Cave Location Result Incident Type
15 January Surprise Cave New York injury and aid caver fall
19 February Breathing Cave Virginia injury and aid caver fall
19 February Sharps Cave West Virginia injury, no aid caver fall
26 February Durham Cave Tennessee aid, no injury illness
5 March Devils Den Cave Arkansas aid, no injury stuck
9 April Devils Den Cave Arkansas aid, no injury stuck
23 April Copperhead Cave Arkansas injury and aid caver fall
14 May Raulston Pit Tennessee injury and aid stranded on rope
29 May Island Ford Cave Virginia aid, no injury illness, stranded
8 June Lechuguilla Cave New Mexico injury, no aid caver fall
11 June Hellhole West Virginia injury, no aid rockfall
5 July Meeks Triple Well Alabama injury, no aid caver fall, difficulty on rope
21 July Greenville Saltpeter Cave West Virginia injury and aid caver fall
23 July Big Manhole Cave New Mexico injury, no aid rockfall
28 July Alexander Cave Arkansas aid, no injury illness, heart attack
2 August Island Ford Cave Virginia aid, no injury caver fall, stuck
2 August Ten Mile Pit Tennessee aid, no injury stranded, inadequate equipment
13 August Spanish Cave Colorado injury and aid injured knee while climbing chimney
20 August Ellisons Cave Georgia injury, no aid rockfall
24 September Empire Mine Cave New Mexico aid, no injury rockfall entrapment
1 October Green Valley Cave Alabama injury, no aid caver fall
2 October Lost Creek Cave Tennessee injury, no aid rockfall
7 October Flowing Stone Cave Georgia aid, no injury rockfall
29 October Fossil Mountain Ice Cave Wyoming injury, no aid lost, hypothermia, inadequate equipment
5 November Carroll Cave Missouri injury, no aid caver fall
4 December Pettijohns Cave Georgia aid, no injury lost

 

Cave Diving Accidents and Incidents

2005 Diving Incidents

Date Cave Location Result Incident Type
4 January Peacock Springs Florida fatality diving above certification, lost, out of air
12 May Devils Eye Florida no consequence equipment problem
20 August Dogwood Spring Florida fatality free diving in cave, inadequate equipment
11 September Eagles Nest Florida injury and aid incorrect gas mixture, out of air, rapid decompression

 

Caving-Related Incidents

2005 Caving-related Incidents

Date Cave Location Result Incident Type
2 February Waterman Mountain Bat Cave Arizona injury, no aid killer bee attack near cave entrance, caver fall
14 April Abandoned limestone mine Kansas no consequence lost, inadequate equipment
May Stephens Gap Cave Alabama injury and aid caver fall outside cave
29 May Abandoned quarry near Rutland Vermont fatality drowned while diving in abandoned mine
18 August Sotano de La Cochera SLP, Mexico fatality fell into pit beside trail
18 August Gollums Cave Utah four fatalities drowned in abandoned mine
18 September sea cave near Black Rock, Kaanapali Hawaii fatality drowned while snorkeling
17 October unspecified cave near Fyffe Alabama no consequence meth lab discovered in cave
21 October unnamed lava tube, Kilauea Hawaii injury and aid fell into lava tube entrance
30 October Panther Cave Tennessee injury and aid hunting dog stranded in pit
14 December Cato Cave Tennessee no consequence marijuana farm discovered in cave

Copyright © 2006 National Speleological Society
All Rights Reserved
Do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise, without permission.