List of UK caving fatalities
This is a list of recreational caving fatalities in the United Kingdom . It includes all verified deaths associated with the exploration of natural caves and disused mines in the modern era (post 1880). Deaths involving members of the general public who may have slipped down a shaft, or wandered into a cave without being aware of the risks, have been excluded.
Caving cannot be considered a particularly dangerous pastime. In 2018, there were up to 4,000 regular cavers in the UK, and about 70,000 people who went on instructor-led courses into caves in the Yorkshire Dales, but there were no fatalities.[ 1]
List of fatalities
Porth yr Ogof – the scene of 11 fatalities
The following is a list of the 137 identified recorded fatalities associated with recreational caving in the UK. The main causes of death have been drowning when cave diving , drowning as the result of flooding or negotiating deep water, injuries incurred from falling from a height, and injuries incurred as the result of rock falls. In ten cases the bodies have not been recovered.
The worst incident in UK caving history was the Mossdale Caverns incident in 1967 when six cavers drowned following an unexpected cloudburst.[ 2] There have been three incidents when three people have died. The first was when three cavers drowned in Langstroth Pot in 1976 when free-diving short sections of underwater passage as the result of the air in an air bell becoming foul.[ 3] Three cavers were killed by a rock fall in Ease Gill Caverns in 1988,[ 4] and three cavers drowned in the Marble Arch system in 1995.[ 5]
Porth yr Ogof , in South Wales , accounts for eleven fatalities, nine of which were the result of people drowning when negotiating the exit pool.[ 6] Ease Gill Caverns and its associated entrances accounts for ten deaths; Alum Pot and its associated entrances account for six, as does Mossdale Caverns (all from the 1967 incident).
The only case of a caver dying in the UK as the result of becoming stuck was Neil Moss in Peak Cavern in 1959. The cause of death was foul air building up around him.[ 7]
Date
Cave
Area
Cause
Name
Notes
Sept 1909
Square Shaft, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Fall
Alexander Rea
17-year-old boy on school outing[ 8] [ 9]
May 1929
West Mine, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Hypothermia
George Etchells Alfred Hadfield
Bodies found 7 September 1929[ 10] [ 11]
July 1936
Alum Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
Mabel Binks
Possibly hit by a rock deliberately thrown down the shaft[ 12] [ 13]
May 1939
Rowten Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
John Lambert
Fell and subsequently drowned[ 14] [ 15]
March 1946
West Mine, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Fall
Arthur Murray
[ 16]
Dec 1946
Grange Rigg Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Hypothermia
Harold Sargeant
Died following a fall[ 17] [ 18]
May 1948
West Mine, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Fall
Leslie Hunt
13-year-old schoolboy[ 19]
Apr 1949
Wookey Hole
Mendip
Diving
Gordon Marriott
[ 20]
May 1951
Penyghent Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Hypothermia
John Williams
[ 21]
Oct 1954
West Mine, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Fall
Kenneth John Booth
16-year-old schoolboy[ 22]
May 1955
Alum Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
John Edgar Fisher
Fell from near top of Dolly Tubs pitch when unlifelined[ 23] [ 24]
Jun 1957
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Leonard Garraway
[ 25] [ 26]
Jan 1958
Goyden Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Brian Kerr
Body not recovered[ 27] [ 28]
Jan 1959
Swildon's Hole
Mendip
Hypothermia
John Wallington
[ 29] [ 30]
Mar 1959
Peak Cavern
Peak District
Asphyxia
Neil Moss
Result of being trapped in confined space. Body interred in situ[ 31]
July 1959
Dow Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
David Priestman
[ 32]
Dec 1959
Bar Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Eric Sugden
[ 33] [ 34]
Dec 1960
Eastwater Cavern
Mendip
Rock fall
Alan Hartnell
[ 35] [ 36]
Jun 1961
Coed-y-Mwstwr Woods Cave
South Wales
Rock fall
Tony Lewis
[ 37]
Sep 1961
Ball Eye Mine
Peak District
Fall
George Keeling
[ 38] [ 39]
Jan 1962
Hell Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Eban Beeves
[ 40] [ 41]
Oct 1962
Alum Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
John Hopley
[ 42] [ 43]
Mar 1963
Deep Ecton Mine
Peak District
Diving
Garry McElliott
Diving with British Sub-Aqua Club – not a cave diver[ 44]
Mar 1963
Longwood Swallet
Mendip
Hypothermia
Heather Muirhead
[ 45] [ 46]
May 1963
Mandale Mine
Peak District
Drowned
Roger Low
Drowned after falling down flooded surface shaft[ 47] [ 48]
Nov 1963
Marble Steps Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Mike McShea
[ 49]
Mar 1964
Lancaster Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Alan Clegg
[ 50]
Jun 1966
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Richard Speakman
[ 51]
Jan 1967
Alum Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
James Drummond
Schoolboy under supervision[ 52] [ 53]
Feb 1967
Carlswark Cavern
Peak District
Drowned
Robert MacDonald
14-year-old schoolboy under supervision[ 54] [ 55]
Mar 1967
Easter Iron Mine
Forest of Dean
Fall
Rex Keene
Hemp rope broke when abseiling 90 metre shaft[ 56] [ 57]
Jun 1967
Mossdale Caverns
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Dave Adamson Geoffrey Boireau William Frakes John Ogden Michael Ryan Colin Vickers
The bodies were later interred in the far reaches of cave[ 2] [ 58]
Oct 1967
Sunset Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Eric Luckhurst
Rescue formed basis of Sid Perou 's film Sunday at Sunset Pot [ 59]
Aug 1968
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Anthony Stannard
[ 60]
Mar 1969
Meregill Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Hypothermia
Christopher Hay
[ 61] [ 62]
Aug 1969
Ease Gill Caverns
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
Duncan Glasfurd
[ 63] [ 64]
Sep 1970
Pollanaffrin
Northern Ireland
Natural causes
Mick Mulligan
[ 65]
Oct 1970
Keld Head
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Alan Erith
Remains retrieved 5 years later[ 66] [ 52]
Oct 1970
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Stephen Sedgewick
[ 6] [ 67]
Feb 1971
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Paul Esser
Remains retrieved in 2010[ 68]
May 1971
Weathercote Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
John Fellows
[ 69] [ 70]
Sep 1971
Swinsto Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Michael Midgley
[ 52]
Aug 1972
Firehose Cave
Scotland
Drowned
Peter Clements
[ 71]
Mar 1973
Knotlow Mine
Peak District
Drowned
Alan Evans
[ 72]
May 1973
Wood Mine, Alderley Edge
Peak District
Drowned
Paul Shaw
14-year-old boy on an outdoor pursuits course[ 73]
July 1973
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Graham Alston
Trainee soldier on exercise[ 6] [ 74]
Sep 1973
Eldon Hole
Peak District
Fall
Sulo Sulonen
[ 75]
Apr 1974
Holme Hill Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Peter Trousdale
[ 76]
Jun 1974
Ogof Agen Allwedd
South Wales
Diving
Roger Solari
Body not recovered[ 77] [ 78]
July 1974
Merlin's Cave
Peak District
Diving
John Smith
[ 79]
Dec 1974
Gaping Gill
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
David Huxtable
Considered to be the UK's first SRT fatality[ 80]
Sep 1975
Ireby Fell Cavern
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Stephen Hughes
[ 81]
Feb 1976
Oxlow Cavern
Peak District
Fall
Stephen Nunwick
[ 82]
May 1976
Langstroth Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Martin Blackburn Brian Fox Donald Southern
Encountered foul air whilst free-diving[ 3]
Aug 1976
Royal Hopping Mine
Peak District
Rock fall
Leslie Wheeler
[ 83]
May 1977
Blayshaw Gill Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
John Rhodes
[ 84]
Sep 1977
Ilam Rising
Peak District
Diving
Mike Nelson
[ 85] [ 86]
April 1978
Wheal Edward Mine
Cornwall
Fall
Stella Bourke
[ 87]
Oct 1979
Cote Gill Pot
Yorkshire Dales
CO poisoning
Richard Marvel John Staniforth
Result of using high explosives[ 88]
Dec 1979
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
South Wales
Drowned
J. Fitton D.Gough
Washed away[ 89]
Mar 1980
Bull Pot of the Witches
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Ian Plant
[ 90] [ 91]
Aug 1980
GB Cave
Mendip
Natural causes
Ian Roberts-Miller
[ 92] [ 93]
Oct 1980
Top Sink
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Tracy Gibson
[ 94]
Nov 1980
Keld Head
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Mark Woodhouse
[ 95] [ 91]
Feb 1981
Pollnacrom
Northern Ireland
Diving
David Woods
Body not recovered[ 96]
July 1981
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Adrian Luck
[ 97] [ 98]
Nov 1981
Wookey Hole
Mendip
Diving
Keith Potter
[ 99] [ 91]
May 1982
Gaping Gill
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Edward Holstead
[ 100]
May 1982
Diccan Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Natural causes
Anthony Mosedale
[ 100]
Jun 1982
Sunset Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Neofitos Savva
[ 100]
Aug 1982
Ireby Fell Cavern
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
John Martin
[ 101]
Nov 1982
Gaping Gill
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Robert Watson
[ 101]
Sep 1983
Smallcleugh Mine
Cumbria
Fall
David Colin Brooks
17-year-old boy scout fell 18 metres[ 102] [ 103]
Jan 1985
Hurtle Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Derek Crossland
[ 104] [ 91]
Feb 1985
Bagshawe Cavern
Peak District
Drowned
Mark Dowsett
15-year-old schoolboy on school trip[ 76] [ 105]
Nov 1985
Lancaster Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
David James
[ 106]
Jan 1986
Longwood Swallet
Mendip
Rock fall
Atilla Kurucz
[ 107] [ 108]
Mar 1986
Rowten Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
David Anderson
Cave Rescue Organisation team member on rescue[ 109]
May 1986
Dale Head Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
James Taylor
[ 110]
July 1986
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Natural causes
Gwynfor Hughes
[ 6]
Apr 1988
unnamed cave
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Nick Whaite
[ 111] [ 91]
May 1988
Ease Gill Caverns
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
Janet Barnfield Michael Preece David Simpson
[ 4]
Aug 1988
Uamh Claig-ionn
Scotland
Hypothermia
Charles Butterworth
[ 112]
Feb 1989
Jib Tunnel
Yorkshire Dales
Hypothermia
Keith Mann
[ 113]
May 1989
Ivy Green Cave
Peak District
Hypothermia
Michael Boulton
Body found a year later 100 metres (330 ft) in, with no lighting[ 114]
Feb 1990
Kingsdale Master Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Phil Tamms
[ 115]
Jul 1990
Glynneath Silica Mine
South Wales
Natural causes
Neville Groom
On management training course[ 116]
July 1991
Jacob's Mine
Peak District
Rock fall
Stephen Goodwin
[ 117]
Nov 1991
Sell Gill Holes
Yorkshire Dales
Natural causes
Francis Hardy
[ 117]
Jun 1992
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Amanda Stead
[ 118]
Jun 1992
Joint Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Martin McMahon
[ 119] [ 91]
Oct 1992
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Graham Lipp
Died after rescuing boy[ 120] [ 121]
Jan 1993
Kingsdale Master Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Michael Jones
Washed into Kingsdale Master Cave sump[ 122]
Feb 1994
Lost Johns' Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
Paul Lyons
[ 123]
July 1994
Dismal Hill Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Trevor Kemp
[ 124] [ 91]
Oct 1994
Old Ing Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Peter Ball
[ 125]
Nov 1994
Whittington Stone Mine
Cotswolds
Natural causes
Bob Fairclough
[ 126]
Jan 1995
Marble Arch Caves
Northern Ireland
Drowned
Con Cormican Brian Kennedy Philip Marshall
[ 5]
May 1995
Calf Holes
Yorkshire Dales
Natural causes
Thomas Denny
Management training exercise[ 127]
Aug 1996
Quaking Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Christine Bleakley
[ 128]
May 1997
Lancaster Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Michael Jeffries
[ 129]
Dec 1998
Ogof Pont Y Meirw
South Wales
Diving
Peter Fowler
[ 130] [ 91]
Nov 2000
Lancaster Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Howard Rothwell
[ 131]
February 2001
Ireby Fell Cavern
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Julian Carrol Ray Lea
[ 132]
July 2002
Porth yr Ogof
South Wales
Drowned
Kevin Sharman
[ 133]
Sep 2004
Notts Pot
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Paula Szajnowska
[ 134]
Mar 2005
Low Birkwith Cave
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Colin Pryer
[ 135] [ 91]
Nov 2005
Manchester Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Hypothermia
Joseph Lister
Schoolboy under supervision[ 136]
Mar 2006
Upper Flood Swallet
Mendip
Natural causes
Malcolm Cotter
[ 137]
Mar 2006
Astonhill Swallet
Peak District
Rock fall
David Briggs
[ 137] [ 138]
Aug 2006
Meregill Skit
Yorkshire Dales
Natural causes
Mike Wooding
Died of natural causes whilst diving[ 139]
Dec 2007
Giant's Hole
Peak District
Hypothermia
Paul Fowkes
[ 140] [ 141]
Dec 2007
Lower Long Churn
Yorkshire Dales
Drowned
Caroline Fletcher Stuart Goodwill
[ 142] [ 143]
July 2008
Coal mine at Craigmillar
Scotland
Asphyxia
Peter Ireson
Abseiled into foul air in disused coal mine[ 144] [ 145]
Apr 2011
Pwll-y-Cym
South Wales
Diving
Bonnie Cotier
[ 146] [ 147]
Aug 2014
Aber Las Mine
North Wales
Asphyxia
Will Smith
Overcome by foul air in disused slate mine[ 148] [ 149] [ 150]
Feb 2015
Bull Pot, Kingsdale
Yorkshire Dales
Rock fall
Gordon Aitken
[ 151] [ 152]
Aug 2017
Ewes Top Moss Pot, Scales Moor
Yorkshire Dales
Natural causes
Michael Wood
Date uncertain - body not found for several weeks[ 153] [ 154]
Jun 2019
Curtain Pot, Fountains Fell
Yorkshire Dales
Fall
Harry Hesketh
[ 155] [ 156]
Jan 2020
Lancaster Hole
Yorkshire Dales
Diving
Simon Halliday
[ 157] [ 158]
Mar 2023
Ayton Monument Mine, Great Ayton
Other
Asphyxia
Adam Perkins
[ 159] [ 160]
Breakdown of fatalities by cause and area
The following table summarises the major causes of fatality in UK caving by cause and by area. The commonest cause of fatality in the UK is drowning - accounting for almost half the deaths when cave diving is included, and 40% when diving is excluded. The second major cause of fatality, when cave diving is excluded, is falling from height which accounts for 23% of fatalities, followed by rock fall which accounts for 14% of fatalities. The 'Other' category includes gas poisoning and asphyxiation.
Area
Diving
Drowned
Fall
Rock fall
Hypothermia
Natural causes
Other
Total
Mendip
2
0
0
2
2
2
0
8
Northern Ireland
1
3
0
0
0
1
0
5
Peak District
3
5
7
3
4
0
1
23
South Wales
3
12
0
1
0
2
0
18
Yorkshire Dales
9
26
17
10
5
5
2
74
Other
0
1
3
0
1
1
3
9
Total
18
47
27
16
12
11
6
137
Breakdown of fatalities by cause and decade
The following table summarises the major causes of fatality in UK caving by decade. The changes from decade to decade partly reflect the different numbers of active cavers, partly changing techniques, and partly improved equipment.[ 161]
Decade
Diving
Drowned
Fall
Rock fall
Hypothermia
Natural causes
Other
Total
1900s
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1910s
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1920s
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
1930s
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
2
1940s
1
0
2
0
1
0
0
4
1950s
0
2
3
1
2
0
1
9
1960s
2
12
5
3
2
0
0
24
1970s
4
11
7
3
0
1
2
28
1980s
6
6
5
4
3
3
0
27
1990s
2
9
2
2
0
4
0
19
2000s
1
6
1
1
2
2
1
14
2010s
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
5
2020s
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
Total
18
47
27
17
12
11
6
137
Breakdown of fatalities over time
The following bar chart shows the number of fatalities in each decade:
See also
References
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Sources