New entrance may provide path to trapped men

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 1

New entrance may provide path to trapped men

By

BARRY SIMPSON

Working on a hunch, searchers yesterday found the hidden entrance to another cave which may lead them to the three young Christchurch men trapped in the flooded Profanity Cave, near Berlins. The three men have now spent three days and nights in the cave. The West Coast Search and Rescue co-ordinator, Sergeant N. W. Smith, late yesterday afternoon described their situation as “most serious.”

The three youths, Gregory Houston, of 137 High-* sted Road, Bishopdale; Steven Hplyoake, of 246 Highsted Road; and lan Kevern, of 99 Windermere Road, Papanui, entered Profanity Cave about midday on Tuesday. They intended to come out on Wednesday evening, but local knowledge of

the flooding that occurs during heavy rainfall prompted a search and rescue mobilisation on Wednesday morning. Cavers knew that an alternative entrance to the cave was blocked by the 1968 Inangahua earthquake, but working on the assumption that the earthquake, in blocking one entrance, might have uncovered another, they decided to search the area in pouring rain yesterday morning. Their assumption was correct. Just after midday the searchers found a hole, hidden by scrub and blackberry, half-way up a very steep hill. It was barely big enough to enter. Reports indicated a strong current of air and when three cavers — lan White, John Bateup, and Keith Decker — inched their way

about 15 metres along the cave, they were able to report back that they heard the sound of fiercely rushing water. This, combined with the direction the cave appeared to take, convinced them

that this cave could give access to Profanity. They also hope that it will bypass the narrow, low-ceiling parts of the cave through which the floodwaters are still rushing. The search organisation at the site will concentrate on gaining admission to this cave. After the first 15 metres the leading cavers have reported falls of rock, and these will take time to clear. The cavers — now numbering

about 20 after reinforcements arrived from Nelson yesterday — will work in three teams in a race against time to force an entrance to Profanity. This was the most important policy decision

reached at a high-level conference at 2 p.m. yesterday. The seriousness of the position was exemplified by the decision to call in engineers from the State mines and representatives of the mines crash rescue unit. The conference felt that the new cave offered the best hope of gaining access to the three trapped youths. Efforts to divert water seeping down into the cave system from the series of potholes on a high terrace above will continue.

Sergeant Smith said that groups of workers had managed to divert about 25 per cent of this water flowing down into the Profanity Cave drainage system. The water flow from Profanity’s outlets has been measured at 60 cusecs. Cavers say that the water flowing out of the

entrance would be only 10 per cent of the water in the system. There are many other outlets. Sergeant Smith said that the searchers might do a quick reconnaissance up Profanity’s entrance if the water drops significantly. However, heavy showers •were still drenching the area late yesterday afternoon, and the flow did not appear to have diminished significantly. Experienced cavers who have been through Profan-

ity several times say that with good going, the first main cavern and a lake can be reached in about an hour from the drain entrance. From the old, nowblocked entrance it takes only half that time.

This cavern has a very high inverted dome roof, and at normal flow the water rose to within about a metre of the roof. The inversion, however, created two high places and pockets of air at each end.

A second cavern with an even higher roof (about 35 metres) and about 30 metres long, was further along the cave, and would take about three to four hours to reach under normal conditions.

It is hoped that the youths are sitting it out in one of these caverns.