Caving accident statistics

[cap n chris]

I think it's a very safe assumption that migraines while caving do not classify as accidents any more than would a sharp hunger pang, noxious indigestion, offensive BO, nausea, glue ear, sudden onset of heinous sweat, curly monobrow, violent belching, spontaneous polarised unpopularity, overwhelming bout of disabilitating blenching (aka jingly disco-leg), full bladder, leaking wellington or a combination of any or all of the above, plus a host of othersuch similar maladies besides.

 

[seddon]

Pity. otherwise I should surely be so safe (statistically speaking) that I might well be immortal. As long as I stayed in a cave, at least...

 

[Amy]

Well, the one time I was so dizzy and my friend didn't catch me in time (I was between two people to help stabilize if I started really getting wobbly or slipped or something) - I was dizzy, fell on breakdown, slid, threw my hand out to grab onto something/anything which I got it (luckily, since if I had kept sliding there was about a 10-15 ft crevice at that point of me stopping only about a foot in front of me to fall into, heh) which ended up with the hitting uneven bumpy rock I landed on a protrusion bruising my coccyx and strained my wrist (it torqued a bit as it stopped my slide). I think that should count (I made it out fine still, I was just *really really sore* the next day, at the time I was more just concerned with getting out of the damn cave, lol)

Caving with full blown migraine = not fun. That was like my 3rd trip ever too. I learned quickly to always have medicine on me! (which, tends to make me sleepy and ditzy in and of itself, but, it's better than a full blown migraine - working on getting one that doesn't do that to me so it's safer for caving on)

 

[Duncan Price]

IIRC - recreational skiing (not the off-piste variety which I only do unintentionally) is 500x more dangerous than caving (what I heard) seems to figure with my own experiences.  I've dislocated my right shoulder twice whilst skiing (my GP said that if it happens again that I should take lessons).  I've been out on the piste perhaps a dozen times - only once have I injured myself sufficient to require a trip to A&E (trip down Easegill - CRO not involved).  Caving over 25 years and several hundreds of trips.  Driving to/from cave is more risky.

Cave diving incidents are fairly bimodal - get out or not.

 

[carabeener]

as ever, after all the analysis is done, the best advice is to make sure you aren't the one who has the accident. 


John

Exactly!  Push them off the ledge and statistically you are safe for that trip!

It's never me that has the accidents, just everybody around me. 

 

[Amy]

as ever, after all the analysis is done, the best advice is to make sure you aren't the one who has the accident. 


John

Exactly!  Push them off the ledge and statistically you are safe for that trip!

It's never me that has the accidents, just everybody around me. 

And eventually you wonder why you have no one left to cave with...

 

[johnv]

ok, maybe I should have said "your party" rather than "you". but you get the idea.

my point is that odds don't tell the full story. Your actions affect your "luck".

For instance the odds of getting struck by lightning are small, but you are going for fair better if you don't stand on a big hill waving an ice axe in a storm.

 

[mikem]

Doesn't include caving, but this is interesting: http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html

Some of the numbers come from: http://www.hse.gov.uk/education/statistics.htm#death

Mike

 

[ogof addict]

if i read that right, you have similar chances of dying playing tennis in germany as hang-gliding in the uk    that would have made a good arguement to get out of playing tennis at school 

or do they play highly dangerous tennis in Germany?

 

[crickleymal]

One of the reasons I asked the question in the first place was due to taking out some insurance. The insurance bods don't seem to be concerned about my weight or (much more importantly) the fact that I commute daily on a motorbike from Gloucester to Bristol. But they do throw a hissy fit if I do more than 20 caving trips a year 

 

[graham]

One of the reasons I asked the question in the first place was due to taking out some insurance. The insurance bods don't seem to be concerned about my weight or (much more importantly) the fact that I commute daily on a motorbike from Gloucester to Bristol. But they do throw a hissy fit if I do more than 20 caving trips a year 

yeah, they really don't understand caving. The commute by bike is far, far more dangerous.