By David Hernandez
The San Diego Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� A 29-year-old woman was stuck in a 12-inch-wide 鈥済ap鈥� in a cave in East County for about 16 hours before rescuers freed her late Sunday morning, a sheriff鈥檚 official said.
It occurred in an area known as Thunder Canyon Cave 鈥� made up of openings formed between piled-up boulders 鈥� off McCain Valley Road north of the rural community of Boulevard.
The woman was 鈥渢raversing a narrow opening鈥� in the cave with friends Saturday when she got stuck, sheriff鈥檚 Lt. Jeffrey Ford said. Her friends tried to dislodge her, to no avail, so they called for help about 6 p.m.
Deputies and search-and-rescue volunteers responded, along with California Office of Emergency Services personnel and a cave rescue team with the an Bernardino County Sheriff鈥檚 Department.
Ford said rescuers reached her just after 9 p.m.
鈥淚t takes hours to hike into the caves and rescuers had to inch their way into very narrow passages while slowly passing along their gear and equipment,鈥� Ford said in a news release. 鈥淭hey checked on the patient and kept her warm with blankets to prevent hypothermia.鈥�
They used 鈥渞oping mechanisms鈥� to rescue her, the lieutenant added.
The woman was freed about 10 a.m. Sunday. A Cal Fire helicopter airlifted her to a spot where an awaiting ambulance crew treated her for exhaustion, scrapes and bruises, Ford said.
Ford issued a few reminders for those who go caving:
- Never go caving alone
- Tell someone where you are going and when you鈥檒l return,
- Stay on the trail if one exists,
- Pay attention on your route,
- Watch out for tight crevices, low ceiling, uneven footing and other hazards,
- Wear proper clothing and shoes,
- Bring light sources, and
- Even though there may be no cell service in a cave, it is important to take a fully charged phone so you can call for help as soon as you鈥檙e outside.
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