Cave Fest promotes safe exploration 11:01 PM CDT on Saturday, October 27, 2007 At Karst Preserve in South Austin, lots of kids and parents put on helmets and grabbed a light to explore caving for themselves. More than 1,500 people are attended the 6th annual Austin Cave Festival. For just one day a year, Live Oak Cave and Get Down Cave are open to the public. The caves aren't very big, but event sponsors say they're a good way for kids to get the feel of the sport and to see how ground water enters Edwards Aquifer. Cavers have mapped out more than 300 caves in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zones. The subject of safely exploring those caves came to a head after three UT students were inside Airman's Cave in South Austin for close to 35 hours. Rescue crews were called in to locate them and bring them out. Those who've spent years exploring these caves say it's imperative to teach this young audience that preparation is key. "Caving is a very, very relatively safe sport in austin," says Julie Jenkins. "You need to have the proper equipment and it helps if you have the proper training. You have to have a helmet, you need lights, you need backup lights, spare batteries, and water if you plan to be in for a long time.” Organizers of this festival hope these adventures make quite an impression. _http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/102707kvuecavefest-mm.1b28dd99f.html_ (http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/102707kvuecavefest-mm.1b28dd99f.html)
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