-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shane B. Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:14 PM To: Canyoneer eGroup Subject: [canyoneer] Bodies of Four People Found in Utah Cave Bodies of Four People Found in Utah Cave
PROVO, Utah - Searchers recovered the bodies of two women and two men who had tried to swim underwater through a narrow submerged passageway in a cave in an effort to reach another chamber, officials said Thursday. Police were working to identify the people, ages 18 to 28, and notify relatives, said Karen Mayne, a spokeswoman for the Provo Police Department. The body of at least one of the victims - a young woman - was found underwater in the narrow passage, Mayne said. Details on the locations of the other three were not immediately made available. A fifth member of the group had called authorities about an hour after his friends entered the water to attempt to swim to the other chamber, authorities said. During the rescue attempt, emergency crews pumped oxygen into the cave and pumped water out. A rescue team from the city of Orem that specializes in working in confined spaces such as caves was on the scene, Mayne said. However, crews were unfamiliar with the cave and its layout, she said. Provo is 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shane B. Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:29 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [canyoneer] Bodies of Four People Found in Utah Cave More info in this story.... thanks for the link Phil.... Four Hikers Found Dead Inside Provo Cave Four hikers have been found dead inside a cave near 'Y' mountain. August 18th, 2005 @ 10:08am (KSL News/AP) -- Officials confirm that four people have been found dead in a cave in Utah County. Police were trying to identify the people, ages 18 to 28, and notify relatives, said Karen Mayne, a spokeswoman for the Provo Police Department. Search crews pumped enough water out of the cave they felt safe and tried to cross the narrow stretch filled with water. The body of at least one person -- a young woman -- was found underwater in the narrow section of the cave, Mayne said. Crews found the other three bodies huddled together. Their bodies have been pulled from the cave. The woman who was found dead first had been to the cave once before, and dubbed this cave the 'cave of death', because the water was so cold one of them almost passed out. Provo Police Department spokeswoman Karen Mayne say the four people, ages 18 to 28, were exploring the cave early this morning. Mayne says a fifth person stayed behind and waited for the friends to come out, but when they didn't, the man called authorities. Mayne say crews had a difficult time because the cave is very confined and unknown to authorities. It appears the cave is a natural one with a cold spring running through it, she said. It's on a hillside near the Brigham Young University "Y." Brian Lamprey, 29, of Provo showed up at the scene when he heard what happened. He said the location of the cave seemed to be spreading among people by word of mouth, and he went in the cave about three weeks ago. "You hear about it, and it's sort of fascinating -- almost like a movie type thing, an underwater expedition kind of fascinating," he said. He said the opening to the cave is about three and a half feet across, and once inside the ceiling is low. About 30 yards into the cave, there's a visible hole in the ground under about five feet of clear water. Lamprey said he dropped into the hole, which is about two and half feet across, worked his way through a narrow underwater passage for about 15 feet and then popped up into a chamber. There is a guide rope in the underwater tunnel. The water in the chamber is about five feet deep, with two or three feet of breathing room, he said. About eight people could fit in the chamber, he said. He said the chamber was very dark, and it would be easy to get disoriented. The cave is in new subdivision near where the old Seven Peaks golf course use to be, located at 1420 East Summit Drive.
