Gil, Hair color I can change, but you have to have something to work with first. LOL.
Geary From: bgillegi...@gmail.com [mailto:bgillegi...@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Gill Edigar Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 8:18 AM To: David Cc: Cavers Texas Subject: Re: [Texascavers] recent caver fatalities Naw, David. There's a natural selection process in place that you shouldn't mess with. Let those fools remove themselves from the gene pool. You take on a great responsibility when you start putting up obstacles to their self-destruction and allow them to procreate. I could cite several examples. We need to be breeding people for intelligence, not stupidity. And blond hair would be a nice goal, too, but only because they have more fun. --Ediger On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 6:34 AM, David <dlocklea...@gmail.com<mailto:dlocklea...@gmail.com>> wrote: It seems that the 2 recent caver fatalities could have been prevented if the novice caver that died had had some basic information about the cave hazards of that particular cave. I would propose that a list of Texas cave hazards be published on CaveTex or in the Texas Caver, or in a special publication to be only handed out at grotto meetings. Also, a PVC canister could be placed in a cave with a note inside warning of the dangers in the cave, along with a list of known fatalities or accidents. For example, where is the spot in a particular cave that a fatality would most likely occur? For example, I would not recommend that a novice caver do certain pits, or visit caves with possible histo, or visit caves with bad air, or sump where a novice caver could drown. I think the situation in Texas is far different than in other states. It is hard for a novice to get in a cave, and even less into a cave that is hazardous. And also, Texas caves are not as wet and cold at the same time as caves in other parts of the country, so being lost is more of a dehydration issue than a hypothermic issue. The only place in a Texas cave that I have visited that I propose be off-limits to all novice cavers, is the last pit in "Emerald Sink." The hazard is the air quality and the contact with bats. The crawlway beyond the 140 foot pit leads to the last pit. [ The 2nd pit is in a small enclosed area and the only time I ever did the pit was in 1994.] At that time, there was a bat roost in the pit, and the guano in the pit was nasty. So I can't think of a good reason why a novice caver should go down the crawlway to the last pit. There is a nasty sump a very short ways beyond the last pit. I think somebody dove the sump. Does it need to be dove again ? If it doesn't need to be dove again, then a good video needs to be made of the passage, and I propose that the crawlway be gated. I bet many cavers have been to a certain cave and not known there was a fatality there ? Like out at Punkin ? How many new active Texas cavers can describe to a novice caver ( off the top of their head ) all the cave fatalities that we have had in Texas? It seems like the number was 13 or 14? Several were vertical related. I bet if you could asked the novice cavers that were on the trips with the victim, if they had ever heard of the publication American Caving Accidents, they would have said, "no." "Cave fatality funerals suck. I don't want to attend one, or be the victim." David Locklear --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com<mailto:texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com> For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com<mailto:texascavers-h...@texascavers.com>
