Deseret Morning News
PROVO
The bodies of four hikers trapped in a small cave, just south of the "Y" on Y Mountain, were found Thursday morning after rescue crews pumped out enough icy water to safely enter the cave and search.Three of the bodies were found around 10:45 a.m. in the second of two caves, according to Karen Mayne, public information officer for the Provo Police Department.The first body, that of a 19-year-old woman, was found almost an hour earlier. She had been trapped in a small underwater tunnel leading to the second cave.The four hikers ranged in age from 19 to 28. The identities of the victims are being held, pending notification of next of kin.Rescuers were unsure whether the hikers died form drowning or lack of oxygen. A medical examiner was on scene all morning and was investigating.A group of five hikers started out early Thursday morning, entering the cave around 4:30 a.m., Mayne said. All but one of the hikers entered, one at a time, through a narrow tunnel and came into a larger opening. From that opening the hikers had to go under water through a small narrow tunnel to get to the second cave.Rescue crews had to force oxygen into the second cave, and pump water out of it, before they could enter.Steve Hundley, the hiker who remained outside the cave, first notified police around 6:30 a.m. when his friends did not return.Hundley, age 20, of Provo, said he would also have entered the cave but didn't because he had to work. He said he had been in the cave a few times before and said the water was extremely cold.
This is what the entrance looks like now. Filled with cement.
The entrance before it was cemented in.
Just inside the entrance is a crystal clear pool of spring water, only a foot or so deep.
This is the hole int the floor that leads to the underwater passage. After 15 minutes of "no you go first" one of us finally lowered ourselves down in and made our way to the submerged room.
Emerging from the submerged water tunnel.
The back room appears to be a natural cave, although the tunnel to it is definitely cut.
3 comments:
Great pictures! Also you are nuts for going through that under water tunnel.
Amazing. Did you take the pictures? I'm fascinated by this cave and the incident.
Thank u for the info and photos! I went to college in that county and went spelunking often with my friends all over Y mountain. We would slide in between the space of barred off mine entrances, and one had a 30+ rung ladder leading to another level and a different barred entrance. It always spooked me a bit, but we felt invincible being 19. I feel for that group of friends that couldn’t make it out of that water
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