Incident Report

1970-01-01Agen Allwedd The solo caver had carried a cylinder to the downstream end of Turkey Sump 2 in 2 hours when he dropped it into the upstream end of the (formerly blocked) sump 1. The pillar valve became turned on and the caver was unable to reach the tank. It was subsequently recovered by digging open the sump and removed (empty but dry inside) from the cave. Elm Hole The diver dropped two full 12 l cylinders into the sump and the dive was aborted. Another diver recovered the cylinders and the sherpa from the aborted trip was able to use them for a subsequent dive in the sump. Daren Cilau Two divers has been active beyond St Davids Sump. On the return to their equipment water levels had risen and their gear was now 2 ft underwater. Water levels elsewhere in the cave were unaffected. Daren Cilau The divers equipment had been stashed on a ledge high in Saturday Night at the Movies for a planned dive. On the day of the dive the equipment (3 m up) had been washed away. Some of the gear was recovered 10 years later and found to be servicable. Daren Cilau Two full 5 l tanks left by 7th Hour Sump in 2001-2 were found to have been washed down the passage in 2007. One cylinder was full of water - the other still serviceable.Take good care of your diving gear and leave it in a safe place high above flood levels. Install aids to stowage of gear (in Elm Hole a diving platform was constructed and a washing line used for stowage of equipment whilst kitting up/dekitting at this constricted sump in Daren Cilau the line through the sump was extended and gear is now left further upstream). Even so the lesson is hard to learn - kit thoughtsafe is often not. This is a common occurance but fortunately no-noe has become trapped (?) yet becouse of it.