INCIDENT TYPES
THIS INCIDENT TYPE OCCURS WHEN THE MOVEMENT OF A CAVER IS RESTRICTED IN A TIGHT SPACE.
What is Stuck?
FROM _____ CHECKS TO ROCKFALL, THIS PROTECTS YOUR NOGGIN.
What is a Helmet?
THIS UTAH CAVE BECAME INFAMOUS IN 2009 AFTER RESCUERS WERE UNABLE TO REMOVE A CAVER FROM HIS INVERTED POSITION.
What is Nutty Putty Cave?
THIS HAZARD IS WHY CAVERS CALL OUT “____“
WHEN SOMETHING IS PLUMMETING INTO A PIT.
What is Rockfall?
VARIATIONS OF THIS KNOT INCLUDE FOLLOW-THROUGH, ON-A-BITE, BUNNY EARS (DOUBLE), AND THE FLEMISH BEND.
What is a Figure-8?
THIS INCIDENT TYPE IS A CATCH-ALL, FROM MISSING A CALLOUT TIME TO A PET DUCK FALLING INTO A SINKHOLE.
What is Other?
WHEN RIGGING CANNOT PREVENT IT, THIS IS USED FOR ROPE ABRASION CONTROL .
What is a Rope Pad?
IN 1925, THIS KENTUCKY EXPLORER BECAME TRAPPED WHILE SEARCHING FOR A NEW ENTRANCE TO MAMMOTH CAVE, SPARKING A MEDIA FRENZY.
Who is Floyd Collins?
THIS HAZARD OCCURS DUE TO POOR VENTILATION IN CAVES, LEADING TO DIZZINESS, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, AND DEATH.
What is Bad Air?
THIS KNOT ALLOWS CAVERS TO EASILY CREATE A LOOP MID ROPE, OFTEN USED TO TIE-OFF DAMAGED SECTIONS.
What is an Alpine Butterfly?
THIS INCIDENT TYPE IS CONSISTENTLY THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS.
What is Caver Fall?
ILLUMINATING CAVERS FOR CENTURIES, THIS TOOL HAS EVOLVED FROM TORCHES TO CARBIDE LAMPS TO SCURIONS.
What is a Light Source?
THREE VISITORS HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM THIS NATIONAL PARK IN 2018 WHEN A WORN TRAVEL CABLE STRANDED THEM IN AN ELEVATOR SHAFT 740 FT UNDERGROUND.
What is Carlsbad Caverns NP?
EIGHT PEOPLE WERE STRANDED IN NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS FOR OVER 30 HOURS IN 2004 DUE TO THIS HAZARD.
What is Flooding?
THIS KNOT IS AFFIXED TO THE END OF A ROPE TO PREVENT SLIPPAGE.
What is a Stopper Knot?
ADDED IN 2011, THIS INCIDENT TYPE WAS ONCE LISTED AS CAVER FALL OR DIFFICULTY ON ROPE.
What is Lost Control on Rappel?
YOU CAN CHECK IF THIS EQUIPMENT IS BEING USED PROPERLY BY REMEMBERING “RED = DEAD“.
What is a D-Ring?
AMERICAN CAVER MARK DICKEY WAS RESCUED IN 2023 AFTER BECOMING SERIOUSLY ILL 3,400 FT INSIDE THIS COUNTRY’S MORCA CAVE.
What is Turkey?
ICELAND’S BREIÐAMERKURJÖKULL ICE CAVE CLAIMED THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN TOURIST THIS AUGUST DUE TO THIS HAZARD.
What is Collapse?
THE DOUBLE ________ KNOT IS A POPULAR CHOICE FOR JOINING TWO ENDS OF ROPE TOGETHER.
What is Fisherman’s?
NO REPORTS OF THIS INCIDENT TYPE HAVE BEEN RECORDED SINCE 1996.
What is Acetylene-Related?
THIS TERM REFERS TO THE ADVANCEMENT METHOD OF CAVING ASCENSION DEVICES.
What is Progress Capture?
THIS CAVE CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TWO GEORGIA TECH STUDENTS IN 1984 AFTER A 30 x 30 FT SLAB DISLODGED, CRUSHING THEM.
What is Valhalla Cave, Tennessee?
CAUSED BY FUNGUS SPORES, THIS HAZARD IS FOUND IN SOIL CONTAMINATED BY BAT AND BIRD WASTE.
What is Histoplasmosis?
BEFORE MODERN VERTICAL GEAR, THIS HITCH, COMBINED WITH A PRUSIK LOOP, WAS THE POPULAR CHOICE FOR A CAVER’S ASCENSION SYSTEM.
What is a Triple Sliding Hitch?