Rescuers heroes of Profanity Cave vigil

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 1

Rescuers heroes of Profanity Cave vigil

By

BARRY SIMPSON

While the three Christchurch youths who were trapped by floodwaters in Profanity Cave, near Berlins, stole much of the limelight after their rescue yesterday, the searchers were clearly the heroes of the day.

Their involvement began on Thursday. Nelson cavers who had been standing by to help arrived at the camp on Thursday to join Buller and Canterbury cavers already there. Mr K. Dekkers, of Nelson, thought that a thorough search should be made of the hillside where an alternative entrance was known to have existed, and which was thought. to have been buried in the Inangahua earthquake of May, 1968. Assisted by Mr Pat Woodward, of Inangahua, Mr Dekkers probed the hillside looking for the hole. They found it and an elated Mr Dekkers reported a strong current of air and the noise of rushing water. With Messrs lan White and John Bateup, Mr Dekkers made an inspection of the hole. It then went beyond a reconnaissance. After about 15 metres the group ran into a rockfall and from this point on it was hard slogging for 15 hours for three teams of cavers.

Later Mr Dekkers said the rockfall was extensive and there was little room in the low tunnel. They were lying on their stomachs and pieces of rocks too heavy to lift were broken down by hammer and chisel and passed back. By this means the rockfall was' finally cleared.

Finally at 3 a.m. yesterday, after descending about 50 metres, entrance was gained to Profanity

Cave about 200 metres from the first cavern area. Mr Dekkers’ party (with Messrs Bateup, White and Philip Wood) began a thorough exploration of the Profanity drain before moving through to the cavern and the lake. Because the inflated rubber tubes normally used to cross, the lake were at the other side where the three youths had left them, the rescue party had to swim to reach the trapped trio.

About 3.30 a.m. the three youths — Steven Holyoake, lan Kevern, and Gregory Houston — were found, fit and well and in good heart. After a. rest and some food, the party made the return journey in little under an hour.

The rescuers and.other experienced cavers praised the three youths for the way in which they had acted while in the cave, and the precautions they had taken. Although intending to be in the cave only six hours they had

provisions for 60 hours or more and were warmly clad.

The three youths said it had been very cold and that they had been forced to huddle together to keep warm. They had known rescue parties would try to reach them, but they had not expected them so soon.

They confessed to being highly elated and relieved when the bobbing lights of their rescuers came into view.

Mr Houston said the party had been in the cave about an hour when they were forced to turn back by a flood of water which was almost to the roof. They found some high spots in the lake and cavern area and decided to sit it out about five metres above the water.

They immediately rationed themselves with food and light, and so well did they do that Mr Dekkers saki later that they could quite easily have stayed there for another two days. The cavers’ co-ordinator, Mr S. Wilkinson, when asked at a press conference yesterday if the youths should have entered Profanity Cave when they did, said the question was unfair. He said the youths were not to have known that thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon would have produced floods inside the caves. However, the weather reports for the Buller area on that day had forecast a cold front which would bring more rain to the West Coast.

Mr Holyoake seemed to agree. He said yesterday that the three had made only one bad decision — to enter the cave in the first place. Mr Houston said the trio would not go caving for “a while.”