Bagshawe Cavern fatality in 1985

[langcliffe]

In February 1985, a 14-year-old lad called Mark Dowsett from Grantham drowned in Bagshawe Cavern whilst on a school outing. This incident has an entry in the list of caving fatalities published in Descent 198 (2007), and I have found one newspaper reference (Newcastle Journal, 18 February 1985), unfortunately without the name of the casualty.

Does anybody, especially those with a Peak inclination, have a better reference for this incident? It didn't get reported in Descent or Caves and Caving.

Thanks.

[mikem]

Doesn't help in this case, but have you also seen:
https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/assets/files/The%20Oracle/History%20and%20people/CaveRescueBeforeNeilMoss.pdf

& did you look at Alan Gray's magnum opus of Mendip Rescues that I posted in other thread?

[langcliffe]

Doesn't help in this case, but have you also seen:
https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/assets/files/The%20Oracle/History%20and%20people/CaveRescueBeforeNeilMoss.pdf

& did you look at Alan Gray's magnum opus of Mendip Rescues that I posted in other thread?

Thank you, but my attention is focussed elsewhere at the moment.

[mikem]

No problem, I modified the post as an afterthought, so would have been easy to miss.

The article doesn't add any casualties, apart from the servant that the Earl of Leicester had lowered down Eldon Hole in the 1500s & died 8 days later (possibly from head injuries caused by the others lobbing stones down "to scare away the devils")...

[mikem]

In this case is Dowset spelt with one T (wikipedia) or two (above)?

The incident does get a mention in Cave Science p.12 bottom:
http://cavescience2-cloud.bcra.org.uk/2_CaveScience/ckc020.pdf

[langcliffe]

In this case is Dowset spelt with one T (wikipedia) or two (above)?

Who knows? I haven't got a reference which includes the name (apart from the cited Descent reference), which is what I am really after.  Probably 'Dowsett'.

[mikem]

richardg mentioned it on here (one T): https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=25123.msg310442#msg310442

[langcliffe]

richardg mentioned it on here (one T): https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=25123.msg310442#msg310442

Thanks - that indicates that something may emerge from our Peak District colleagues.

[langcliffe]

In this case is Dowset spelt with one T (wikipedia) or two (above)?

Who knows? I haven't got a reference which includes the name (apart from the cited Descent reference), which is what I am really after.  Probably 'Dowsett'.

On further investigation, Dowsett with a double-T:

[Ian Ball]

sombre

[bograt]

I was a member of the lead team on this incident and helped put him in the cas-bag after Batch had recovered him from the sump, a very sobering experience that is never forgotten---

[RichardB1983]

The England and Wales Birth & Death Registration Indices have a Mark William Dowsett (double t) born September 1969, registered at Grantham, Lincolnshire - and died Feb 1985, registered at Bakewell, Derbyshire. This should be based on the information on the birth and death certificates, so should be pretty definitive.

[langcliffe]

The England and Wales Birth & Death Registration Indices have a Mark William Dowsett (double t) born September 1969, registered at Grantham, Lincolnshire - and died Feb 1985, registered at Bakewell, Derbyshire. This should be based on the information on the birth and death certificates, so should be pretty definitive.

Yes - I had established that, thanks. What I am after is a contemporary account of the incident with his name.

[Jenny P]

That should be available from DCRO's own records. 

Or, alternatively, PM me (to remind me) and I'll give you contact details for Bill Whitehouse, who I think would have been DCRO secretary at the time, and you can ask him.

[langcliffe]

That should be available from DCRO's own records. 

Or, alternatively, PM me (to remind me) and I'll give you contact details for Bill Whitehouse, who I think would have been DCRO secretary at the time, and you can ask him.

Thanks, but presumably they are unpublished and hence not suitable for a reference.

[mikem]

Depends if they kept newspaper cuttings.

[Mark Wright]

I was the support diver during the rescue and remember there being a reasonably sized article about it in the Sheffield Star. I’m sure the TSG have a copy of this in clubs log book from the time.

Mark

[langcliffe]

I was the support diver during the rescue and remember there being a reasonably sized article about it in the Sheffield Star. I’m sure the TSG have a copy of this in clubs log book from the time.

Mark

Excellent - I'll investigate. Many thanks.

[Tseralo]

The contents of the TSG library are quite well documented here https://tsgcaving.co.uk/library

[mikem]

Unfortunately it doesn't list what is in the logbooks...

[pwhole]

Equally unfortunately I have no idea where the TSG logbook from 1985 might be. I have digitised copies of three of them from the past, but none sadly cover that date range. Scud did the scanning of these I think, so he may be able to furnish more info.

[mikem]

Unsurprisingly the Sheffield Star online archives only go back to 2001. Apparently the City Library has microfiche copies.

Britishnewspaperarchive doesn't seem to have anything that recent, but does have articles on Pooles Cavern from 1857 & Bagshawe in early 1900s.

Presumably the Grantham Journal would be a good place to look, but no idea where you'll find a copy (apart from local studies centre).

[Mark Wright]

I'm pretty sure the Sheffield Star article was pasted into the big leather bound Log Book. Most of the major TSG/CDG discoveries from the 80s are also recorded in it.

I've just checked my collection of newspaper cuttings in the bottom drawer but I don't have that one. I'll be seeing my mum at the end of the week and I'm pretty sure she has everything ever published in the Sheffield Star that had me or my friends featuring in it. She regularly pulls out a newspaper cutting she's just found inside a book. 

I would like to get hold of an electronic copy of that particular Log Book if possible??

Mark