Caver slowly squeezed to death under rocks as he desperately screamed for help
An inexperienced caver endured an unimaginably slow death as he desperately screamed for help for hours whilst trapped between rocks.
William J Coughlin, who is 6ft, ventured to Cave City in Kentucky, USA, for what was meant to be a one-day adventure with his two pals. But it ended in horror as the enthusiast was squeezed to death by the rocks.
The trio, who travelled from Oak Forest, headed towards Buzzard Roost Cave on May 38, 1993. The attraction was described as "treacherous for beginners" because it was "dangerously underdeveloped". The popular network of caves, which spanned hundreds of miles, consisted of steep drops above dangerous spike-shaped rocks.
Less experienced cavers were advised to participate in a historic tour which showed more easily accessible sections of the cave. The wild cave tour was suggested for "the more daring visitor," according to a leaflet.
Cave City spans hundreds of miles (Tripadvisor)Each member of the group signed a release but one of their group, Kevin Feeley, opted out at the last minute, reports Daily Star. Meanwhile, Coughlin and his remaining pal James Jakala completed the historic tour and decided they were ready for their next challenge - the wild cave tour, taking place that afternoon.
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The brave six were then led through a complex series of tunnels led by tour guide David Hardin, who had handed them two torches and instructed the group to follow his every move. Hardin led the group through a narrow tunnel, followed by two rope ladders - one 30ft (9m), the other just 20ft (6m) but more dangerous to climb, as it hung against uneven rocks, making it difficult to grip onto the wooden rungs.
Coughlin found himself getting stuck in the first tunnel several times - at 6ft tall and weighing over 200lbs (90.7kg), he was too large to fit through the passageway. Eventually, however, Coughlin and Jakala along with the rest of the group made it down into the lower sections of the cave, where Hardin informed them that they were running behind schedule and went to make a phone call, court documents later showed.
The US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky later explained that Hardin didn't return "after 30 to 45 minutes" and the group attempted to leave the cave on their own. "Coughlin unsuccessfully tried twice to climb the second ladder," the District Court explained. Coughlin eventually slipped and hit his head on a protruding rock, before falling several feet and landing on his head, which "began to bleed profusely".
Jakala sent other members of the group ahead to fetch Hardin, who came back without a medical kit and without seeking help from rescue teams. Hardin and the rest of the group attempted to help Coughlin, who was slipping in and out of consciousness, to escape from the cave, but he became wedged in a rock formation with one hand stuck between his stomach and the rock, and the other trapped behind his back.
Coughlin was stuck in the passageway for seven hours, but eventually, rescue personnel were able to hoist him out of the cave. He died of his injuries the next day. An autopsy revealed the likely cause of death was positional asphyxia, where a person becomes unable to breathe due to the position they are in. Coughlin, trapped between the rocks, struggled to breathe in and out as the walls of the cave were squeezing his torso. It took rescuers three days to recover his body.
Jakala said after the event that the worst part of the ordeal was the eight-hour drive home without his best friend, according to YouTube channel Final Affliction. Investigations into Coughlin's death found the owner of the cave was liable to be sued as the release forms didn't clearly outline the extent of the danger cavers would face in Buzzard Roost.
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