Tangled in Piano Wire
Incident Date
1989-01-09
Incident Description
Three divers entered a French resurgence cave for about 50m in a gloomy 2m of visibility. There were several thin French lines and intermittent sections of thin piano wire that had been laid by the original explorer many years before. One of the three became entangled in the piano wire and the visibility reduced. A second diver assisted the first in disentangling himself. None of the divers was carrying wire cutters. There had been rumors of fatalities at this otherwise easy site and the presence of the wire could be an explanation.
Lessons Learned
Carry cutting equipment suitable to the lines laid in the sump. Manage lines carefully.
| Factors |
|
| Line Management |
Major |
| Gas Management |
Negligible |
| Equipment Management |
Minor |
| Equipment Failure |
Negligible |
| Training |
Minor |
| Medical |
Negligible |
| Planning |
Negligible |
| Procedural Error |
Minor |
| Cave Environment |
Negligible |
| Weather |
Negligible |
| Other Factor |
Unknown |
