Whats the worst injury You've suffered through Caving ?

[Slug]

At work last week I had the usual task of trying to change someones pre-conceived belief that caving was such a deadly pastime... killing Hundreds ,worldwide, every week.

My argument was, that in nearly 20 years of caving I had only ever sustained 1 (not very) serious injury. A falling rock hit My L.H. Little finger, resulting in 2 stitches.

In fact, there is one very well known member of My club that has sustained more damage through " Alcohol induced pockets of increased gravity" and Clog Dancing???? ( So He claims :doubt, than Speleo-related incidents.


Does anyone else feel the same ?

 

[dunc]

In 10 years the worst is two periods of back-ache, one caused by slipping on a mudy rock and landing on my back, the other dragging heavy sand-filled tubs out of a dig, or a small scar on my shoulder where a falling rock hit me..
So, no its not that deadly.. And like you Slug I've witnessed/heard of more in the way of alcohol related injuries!

 

[Slug]

Sorry I forgot /ignored the aches and pains thing... and You name any caver that hasn't got at least 1 Booze/gravity story 

 

[bat]

In fact, there is one very well known member of My club that has sustained more damage through " Alcohol induced pockets of increased gravity" and Clog Dancing???? ( So He claims :doubt, than Speleo-related incidents.

Just one? !! :-\

 

[Slug]

Oh no there are loads I just cited 1 as a generic example.

 

[cap n chris]

In this country alone, smoking kills about 100,000 people each year.

 

[graham]

In this country alone, smoking kills about 100,000 people each year.

Dangerous maybe, but not much of a sport is it.

 

[Slug]

In this country alone, smoking kills about 100,000 people each year.

Dangerous maybe, but not much of a sport is it.

Bugger You beat Me To It Graham

Try reading the subject title knobjockey

 

[graham]

Maybe it was a comment on the effects of passive smoking from frequenting the Hunters? (Not for much longer though).

Either way I feel that your last word has maybe a touch "strong"?  :doubt:

 

[crazystaci]

the only injury i had when caving was when brains pulled me up the big rock and pulled my wrist too hard, it hurt for a wile after but it was fine after a wile. other than that i haven't hurt my self caving yet!!! (now i have said it i will do now) lol

 

[Slug]

Yeh sorry about that, but seriously though, its a caving question , on a caving forum, not an invitation to rant about a totally unrelated subject.

 

[bat]

In reply to the original question only miner cuts and bruises, like most cavers I know.
However I do have some very old dater on our nations second most popular sport (I believe fishing is the most popular and the numbers for that are possible worse)

Football Grounds (Deaths)
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many deaths have taken place at Football Association grounds during each of the past 10 years, and as to how many of these deaths were caused by (a) physical problems, including fires, overcrowding, etc., (b) natural causes and (c) criminal acts.
Mr. John Patten : The information known to the Home Office about fatalities at Football Association grounds relates primarily to incidents at English Football League grounds. Details of the known incidents at such grounds over the last 10 years leading to fatalities among the general public are as follows :



Date                |Location            |Number of Fatalities                   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12 January 1980      |Middlesbrough      |2                                       

11 May 1985          |Bradford            |56                                     

11 May 1985          |Birmingham          |1                                       

15 April 1989        |Sheffield          |95                                     

                                          |--                                     

Total                                    |154                                     



That’s just the spectators at the Football League grounds
It doesn’t include local club and park grounds
or the players, and if that that many were fatalities how many where severally injured.
My conclusion  is caving is a very safe sport

 

[darkplaces]

In a slate mine I put in foot in a hole resulting in me falling backwards thinking I am going to break my leg, which I did not just pulled tendons and things. However untill someone pointed it out I didnt know I had sliced an inch cut in my right hand below the pointy finger requiring 3 stitches. Same mine, peace of slate fell 2ft and sliced an oozing cut in my arm.

Caving? Nothing, obviously I haven't done enough....

 

[cap n chris]

The thread title is skewed in so far as those who have died as a result of their caving injuries cannot list them. My comment about smoking was as an offset - i.e. even if caving killed everyone who did it every year it would still be, in absolute terms, "safer" than smoking.

Personally, I've lost both legs and an arm from caving*. However, I've learned to type with my tongue so my quality of life hasn't really suffered.

P.S. What's the "point" of this thread BTW?


* Mercifully, they grew back. I would appear to have the DNA of an amphibian.

 

[Slug]

The point as You put it was to find out just how dangerous caving is in reality, rather than in the minds of those who know little or nothing about it. So the next time someone says  something along the lines of "It's stupid and dangerous and should be banned" , the  caver can offer some rational argument to counter such ill informed opinions.

As for Your last post , sorry, but it sounds like a backpeddle to me.

Smoking is not in any way caving related (within the remit of this thread), so why bring it up ?

 

[cap n chris]

Peter Mohr did an excellent statistical analysis of the Non-Fatal and Fatal risks of caving versus a variety of other outdoor pursuits including rugby, football etc.. It was in (IIRC) Descent 153 (at a guess). Put simply (and this has been the topic of at least two previous threads on this forum), you are about 160 times MORE LIKELY to get injured, per hundred thouand hours of engagement, while playing football/rugby than you are while caving. However, you are about 160 times MORE LIKELY to get killed, per hundred thousand hours of engagement, doing caving than you are playing rugby/football. i.e. if you shoelaces snap it doesn't tend you kill you but if your abseiling rope snaps, it often proves fatal (this will no doubt start a thread on the likelihood/historical examples of rope snapping). The conclusion (if any) is that: caving probably won't injure you much but it could just as easily kill you.

The point about smoking was this:

The people who you are debating safety with re: caving.... do they frown and argue about the dangers of smoking or do they just pick on topics about which they know nothing first hand and base their opinions/prejudices on overhyped meeja bollocks? - i.e. the next time someone says "Oh, caving!... that's dangerous; you'd never get me going undergound", just ask them what they think of the fact that in the UK, in a REALLY bad year, a handful of people get killed whereas 100,000+ smokers die: are these people going to start waving placards outside their local working men's club?

 

[Slug]

could have said that in the first place.

 

[cap n chris]

... but I didn't... 

 

[Elaine]

I nearly burnt myself smoking once!   

In caves I have only broken fingers (all mine - honest!) and on three separate occasions too. Two of those times were when digging (Jay's and Templeton). But I seem to have learned a lesson and haven't broken any body parts for a few years.

 

[dunc]

The people who you are debating safety with re: caving.... do they frown and argue about the dangers of smoking or do they just pick on topics about which they know nothing first hand and base their opinions/prejudices on overhyped meeja bollocks? -i.e. the next time someone says "Oh, caving!... that's dangerous; you'd never get me going undergound", just ask them what they think of the fact that in the UK, in a REALLY bad year, a handful of people get killed whereas 100,000+ smokers die: are these people going to start waving placards outside their local working men's club?

Indeed, but smoking is 'acceptable' because so many people do it, whereas caving is undertaken by a small minority of foolish people.... :-\
There are some people in this world that have their opinions and no matter what arguements/statistics you throw at them they will still believe what they want!!