Returning from a trip to the Far North in Dan yr Ogof years ago, I noticed my Speleotechnics FX2 getting dimmer and dimmer. After reaching the show cave section, I was left behind stumbling in the dim light until I realised I was bent double just trying to see the floor of the cave with the dim red glow which was all that was all that was left from my light.
I heard a noise as someone realised I was missing and had returned to find me and the amazing man-made sunrise as he got closer and closer and the unbelievably blinding light from his headlamp as he rounded a corner, as it seemed to my eyes which had got used to the dim red glow.
After asking what the hell I was up to he loaned my his spare light - I had none of course - which was an old Petzl Zoom with knackered elastic headband. This didn't matter as I just held the light gratefully and continued towards the entrance.
As the show cave was now closed, we exited via the "caver's entrance" via a small trap-door above a clamber down to the river. As I needed my hands to clamber down the short drop to the river, I put the Zoom on my helmet and it wobbled around on the stretched headband elastic but no matter.
As I was clambering down, not knowing how far I was above the river, having never used this route in or out of the cave before, the damn thing fell off my helmet, hitting me in the right eye making it water copiously and plunged me into darkness again as it plopped into the river below.
I held on waiting again for some kind soul to shed some light on my predicament, but there was more consternation resulting from the dropped Zoom and where it had disappeared to in the river and it was some time before someone came to my aid after they found their Petzl Zoom.
For a while fellow clubmates referred to me as "The Prince of Darkness" for some reason...