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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C0A250.C0A07B00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This is probably what you are referring to. Joe Subject: RPI student dies in underwater tunnel > By BRUCE A. SCRUTON, Staff writer > Last updated: 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 > Divers enter cave to recover body > RPI student dies in underwater tunnel >=20 > NEW SCOTLAND <New York> -- An RPI graduate student who wanted one more = try=20 > at > clearing an underground, underwater tunnel apparently became caught in = the > 20-inch opening and died when his air supply ran out, officials said = early=20 > this > morning. >=20 > Robert Svensson, 23, was studying computer science at RPI. His = hometown is > Sherborn, Mass., between Boston and Worcester. >=20 > Divers called off their search after several hours but returned later = this > morning to Clarksville Cave in an effort to recover the body. >=20 > Svensson was among three students from the Troy school who went to the = cave > Monday afternoon. Experienced divers, the trio planned to use an = underwater > passage from one part of the cave to another. The passage dips down = from one > level and then back up into another room in the complex just off Route = 443. >=20 > It is that U-shaped < it's a sump; U-shaped refers to crosss section = along=20 > the > long axis of the passage> area that collects snow-melt and runoff from = the > Heldeberg Mountains and is always full of water. >=20 > Albany County Deputy Chief Craig Apple said divers who went into the > water-filled tube encountered near zero visibility because of the = darkness > and the amount of silt in the water. ``There's no current to move = stuff > away, so it all settles in there; very fine silt. As soon as they = (divers) > touch the water, it gets stirred up.'' <The sump is not entirely the = result=20 > of > water ponding in a low spot. It is simply one part of the stream that = flows > through most parts of the cave; currently the flow rate may be pretty = low.> >=20 > The Lake Room is about 1,000 feet from one of the entrances to the = cave, a > trip that takes about 45 minutes one-way crawling through openings = that are > sometimes 18 inches wide. .``There's house-size rooms in there, too, = and > that's the appeal (of exploring the cave),'' Apple said. < There is = perhaps=20 > 100 > yards worth of low crawl about 18 inches high; the only thing less = than a=20 > few > feet wide on the route to the Lake Room is the entrance, which is a = roughly > circular hole about 20 inches across. The "Big Room" is about 40 feet = across > and 15 feet high; it's apparently the main appeal for people who just = want=20 > to > sit in the cave and drink their beer in the summer.> >=20 > The two remaining students told investigators that all three were > experienced divers and dragged their equipment, including small air > cannisters, from the entrance to the water's edge in the Lake Room. >=20 > There, when they encountered the blocked passage and could not get = through > to the other parts of the cave, they decided to take turns trying to = clear > the limbs and collected debris. >=20 > "They were down there for about an hour-and-a-half and were getting > tired," Apple said. "They decided to call it quits and he (victim) = said he > wanted to give it one more try." >=20 > "He went back down and after a period of time, a column of bubbles > emerged.That was the last they saw of him," he said. >=20 > The pair told officers they went into the water and tried to pull = their > friend out, but he was caught. "They did manage to push him forward = some, > but they couldn't get him out. He was tangled on the bend somehow," = Apple > said. >=20 > The two then had to make the 45-minute crawl back to the entrance and = run > through some woods to get help. Officials got the 911 call about 9 = p.m. >=20 > Divers from both the Albany County Sheriff's Department and the Albany > County Dive Team were called to the cave, along with specially-trained > volunteers who have made dozens of rescues from the surrounding caves = over > the years. <These would be mostly local cavers with no cave diving=20 > experience; > many of the cavers as well as several local volunteer firemen have = attended=20 > a > weekend orientation to basic cave rescue; a few of the local cavers = have > substantial experience at cave rescue. AFAIK none of the local dive = rescue > people have cave training.> >=20 > Albany County Undersheriff John R. Mahan said this is the first death = he can > remember in an Albany County cave in the 25 years he has been with the > department. <AFAIK it's been about 25 years since any cave death in = New=20 > York. I > believe there was a death while doing vertical work in a nearby cave = around=20 > the > mid to late 70's, and a caver was crushed by falling ice at another = Albany > County cave in '76. There would have been at least two more cave = diving=20 > deaths > in still another Albany County cave in '91 when students from the = Syracuse > University Outing Club were trapped by a flood. Rescue divers (with no = cave > training) were just about to enter a normally dry cave when a member = of the > cave rescue team showed up and convinced them they would die if they=20 > entered.> >=20 > Working in two-man teams, the 10 divers took turns dipping into the = frigid > waters of the tunnel. While the air temperature in the cave remains = about 55 > degrees year-round, the water temperature is in the low 40s, the two > officers said. >=20 > "The tunnel where Svensson's body is trapped is only about 18-24 = inches in > diameter and, with his body in that space too, there's not much room > to work," Apple said. >=20 > After several hours of work, the divers still could not free the body, = Apple > said. About 1:30 a.m. today, the decision was made to bring the divers = out > of the cave. >=20 > "We're going to get them some rest, discuss this, and come up with a > different plan in the morning," Apple said. >=20 >=20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Michael Domitrek=20 To: techdiver@aquanaut.com=20 Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 4:56 AM Subject: NY Cave Fatality Anyone have any information on this, spotted a small article in the = local paper. Article stated it was at Clarksville, NY cave and that as = of Tuesday they could not recover the body........ Michael ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C0A250.C0A07B00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2> <DIV>This is probably what you are referring to.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joe</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Subject: RPI student dies in underwater tunnel</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>> By BRUCE A. SCRUTON, Staff writer<BR>> Last = updated:=20 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001<BR>> Divers enter cave to recover=20 body<BR>> RPI student dies in underwater tunnel<BR>> <BR>> NEW = SCOTLAND=20 <New York> -- An RPI graduate student who wanted one more try = <BR>>=20 at<BR>> clearing an underground, underwater tunnel apparently became = caught=20 in the<BR>> 20-inch opening and died when his air supply ran out, = officials=20 said early <BR>> this<BR>> morning.<BR>> <BR>> Robert = Svensson, 23,=20 was studying computer science at RPI. His hometown is<BR>> Sherborn, = Mass.,=20 between Boston and Worcester.<BR>> <BR>> Divers called off their = search=20 after several hours but returned later this<BR>> morning to = Clarksville Cave=20 in an effort to recover the body.<BR>> <BR>> Svensson was among = three=20 students from the Troy school who went to the cave<BR>> Monday = afternoon.=20 Experienced divers, the trio planned to use an underwater<BR>> = passage from=20 one part of the cave to another. The passage dips down from one<BR>> = level=20 and then back up into another room in the complex just off Route = 443.<BR>>=20 <BR>> It is that U-shaped < it's a sump; U-shaped refers to crosss = section=20 along <BR>> the<BR>> long axis of the passage> area that = collects=20 snow-melt and runoff from the<BR>> Heldeberg Mountains and is always = full of=20 water.<BR>> <BR>> Albany County Deputy Chief Craig Apple said = divers who=20 went into the<BR>> water-filled tube encountered near zero visibility = because=20 of the darkness<BR>> and the amount of silt in the water. ``There's = no=20 current to move stuff<BR>> away, so it all settles in there; very = fine silt.=20 As soon as they (divers)<BR>> touch the water, it gets stirred up.'' = <The=20 sump is not entirely the result <BR>> of<BR>> water ponding in a = low spot.=20 It is simply one part of the stream that flows<BR>> through most = parts of the=20 cave; currently the flow rate may be pretty low.><BR>> <BR>> = The Lake=20 Room is about 1,000 feet from one of the entrances to the cave, = a<BR>> trip=20 that takes about 45 minutes one-way crawling through openings that = are<BR>>=20 sometimes 18 inches wide. .``There's house-size rooms in there, too, = and<BR>>=20 that's the appeal (of exploring the cave),'' Apple said. < There is = perhaps=20 <BR>> 100<BR>> yards worth of low crawl about 18 inches high; the = only=20 thing less than a <BR>> few<BR>> feet wide on the route to the = Lake Room=20 is the entrance, which is a roughly<BR>> circular hole about 20 = inches=20 across. The "Big Room" is about 40 feet across<BR>> and 15 feet high; = it's=20 apparently the main appeal for people who just want <BR>> to<BR>> = sit in=20 the cave and drink their beer in the summer.><BR>> <BR>> The = two=20 remaining students told investigators that all three were<BR>> = experienced=20 divers and dragged their equipment, including small air<BR>> = cannisters, from=20 the entrance to the water's edge in the Lake Room.<BR>> <BR>> = There, when=20 they encountered the blocked passage and could not get through<BR>> = to the=20 other parts of the cave, they decided to take turns trying to = clear<BR>> the=20 limbs and collected debris.<BR>> <BR>> "They were down there for = about an=20 hour-and-a-half and were getting<BR>> tired," Apple said. "They = decided to=20 call it quits and he (victim) said he<BR>> wanted to give it one more = try."<BR>> <BR>> "He went back down and after a period of time, a = column=20 of bubbles<BR>> emerged.That was the last they saw of him," he = said.<BR>>=20 <BR>> The pair told officers they went into the water and tried to = pull=20 their<BR>> friend out, but he was caught. "They did manage to push = him=20 forward some,<BR>> but they couldn't get him out. He was tangled on = the bend=20 somehow," Apple<BR>> said.<BR>> <BR>> The two then had to make = the=20 45-minute crawl back to the entrance and run<BR>> through some woods = to get=20 help. Officials got the 911 call about 9 p.m.<BR>> <BR>> Divers = from both=20 the Albany County Sheriff's Department and the Albany<BR>> County = Dive Team=20 were called to the cave, along with specially-trained<BR>> volunteers = who=20 have made dozens of rescues from the surrounding caves over<BR>> the = years.=20 <These would be mostly local cavers with no cave diving <BR>>=20 experience;<BR>> many of the cavers as well as several local = volunteer=20 firemen have attended <BR>> a<BR>> weekend orientation to basic = cave=20 rescue; a few of the local cavers have<BR>> substantial experience at = cave=20 rescue. AFAIK none of the local dive rescue<BR>> people have cave=20 training.><BR>> <BR>> Albany County Undersheriff John R. Mahan = said=20 this is the first death he can<BR>> remember in an Albany County cave = in the=20 25 years he has been with the<BR>> department. <AFAIK it's been = about 25=20 years since any cave death in New <BR>> York. I<BR>> believe there = was a=20 death while doing vertical work in a nearby cave around <BR>> = the<BR>> mid=20 to late 70's, and a caver was crushed by falling ice at another = Albany<BR>>=20 County cave in '76. There would have been at least two more cave = diving=20 <BR>> deaths<BR>> in still another Albany County cave in '91 = when=20 students from the Syracuse<BR>> University Outing Club were trapped = by a=20 flood. Rescue divers (with no cave<BR>> training) were just about to = enter a=20 normally dry cave when a member of the<BR>> cave rescue team showed = up and=20 convinced them they would die if they <BR>> entered.><BR>> = <BR>>=20 Working in two-man teams, the 10 divers took turns dipping into the=20 frigid<BR>> waters of the tunnel. While the air temperature in the = cave=20 remains about 55<BR>> degrees year-round, the water temperature is in = the low=20 40s, the two<BR>> officers said.<BR>> <BR>> "The tunnel where=20 Svensson's body is trapped is only about 18-24 inches in<BR>> = diameter and,=20 with his body in that space too, there's not much room<BR>> to work," = Apple=20 said.<BR>> <BR>> After several hours of work, the divers still = could not=20 free the body, Apple<BR>> said. About 1:30 a.m. today, the decision = was made=20 to bring the divers out<BR>> of the cave.<BR>> <BR>> "We're = going to=20 get them some rest, discuss this, and come up with a<BR>> different = plan in=20 the morning," Apple said.<BR>> <BR>> <BR></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:n2gypsy@wz*.co*" title=3Dn2gypsy@wz*.co*>Michael = Domitrek</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:techdiver@aquanaut.com"=20 title=3Dtechdiver@aquanaut.com>techdiver@aquanaut.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 01, 2001 = 4:56=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> NY Cave Fatality</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anyone have any information on this, = spotted a=20 small article in the local paper. Article stated it was at = Clarksville, NY=20 cave and that as of Tuesday they could not recover the = body........ =20 Michael</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C0A250.C0A07B00-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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