Two Men Rescued From Cave

Two men and a woman, all in their 20s, entered Cave Mountain Cave around 7 p.m. on July 18th. They were dressed in shorts and t-shirts and had no caving equipment with them. After traveling about 50 yards down a passageway, they came upon an old rope tied around a rock that led down into an opening. The two men used the old rope to lower themselves 30 feet from an overhanging ledge into a chamber. Unable to climb back up the rope, they sent the woman to get help. Rangers and the park’s cave specialist responded around 10:30 p.m. after being notified of the incident by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. A cave ladder was lowered over the ledge and a belay system was set up. Park staff climbed down to the two men, bringing along harnesses, headlamps and helmets to properly equip them. They attached a belay line to the men and instructed them on how to climb the ladder, leading them to safety after having been in the cave for nearly eight hours. This was the second time within two months that rangers have rescued stranded people lacking the proper gear in this section of the cave. The park is in the process of establishing a permit system that will limit entry to this cave to those with the proper equipment and experience.