On 24th June 1967 a flood swept down Mossdale Caverns and drowned six cavers who were caught up in the Far Marathon crawls. It was a terrible tragedy for family and friends, and the worse disaster in British caving. They were all young, the eldest aged 26 and the youngest only 17. Another group of cavers were lucky to escape, having left the cave earlier in the day. For awhile the cave was officially sealed off, except to bury the dead inside the High Level Caverns. In time visits to Mossdale Caverns started again, but lessons had been learnt. No one can be in any doubt about the dangers of flooding and the cave should only be attempted in the most settled weather conditions. It was a high price to pay, but the cavers themselves would want exploration to continue. |
