NATION : Man Trapped in Cave Rescued
A man was rescued from a cramped, wet cave today 16 hours after he fell 30 feet from a ledge and suffered cuts and broken ribs.
More than 75 rescuers worked through the night to extricate Aaron Howell, 20, from the cave on private property about five miles west of Bloomington.
Howell, of Franklin, and two friends entered the cave Sunday morning. He slipped off the ledge about three hours later.
Jeff Schepper, one of Howell’s spelunking partners, said Howell fell about 30 feet and was unconscious for about 10 minutes. Schepper went for help but it took him about two hours to find his way out of the cave.
Paramedics and rescue workers found Howell conscious and coherent about 1,300 feet inside the cave Sunday night but had to use hand chisels and mallets to clear a path to him.
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