By Larry Alexander
Intelligencer Journal/New Era
Lancaster, PA. — A 13-year-old girl was injured in a fall while exploring a Martic Township cave Friday afternoon.
The girl, who was not identified, was part of a group of 12 to 15 youths and one adult leader who were camping and hiking near a rocky area, known locally as Cool Caves, near Pequea.
The girl reportedly slipped on wet rocks while deep inside one cave and fell over backwards. Her back struck a rock on the cave floor.
“The group of campers had eaten lunch near there; then they went exploring the cave,” said Kevin Clare, chief of the Pequea Fire Company. “The girl fell while she was in the cave and injured herself.”
The caves, which are natural formations, reach back hundreds of feet. Clare did not know exactly how far the girl had gone, but said she “was pretty far back in the cave.”
To reach the girl, rescuers had to move single-file through the cave, load her carefully on a Stokes litter and carry her out. Before bringing her out, blankets were carried in and wrapped around her to keep her warm.
“They thought maybe she had hypothermia,” Clare said. “In the caves, it’s a lot colder than out here.”
Once outside, the Stokes litter was placed on a Gator all-terrain vehicle for a quick drive along a hiking path to an ambulance waiting on Bridge Valley Road.
A firefighter at the scene said the girl was “in and out” when she was first brought from the cave, but soon grew more responsive and began asking for her mother.
Clare did not know the extent of the girl’s injuries, but did say, “I think she had head and neck injuries, and maybe her back.”
He did not think the girl’s condition was critical.
She was taken to Lancaster General Hospital.
Friday’s incident is the second time in less than two months rescuers have been called to this particular cave, known as Wind Cave.
On June 11, two men had to be rescued after one became wedged in a narrow passageway, thereby trapping his friend as well. A third hiker bringing up the rear was able to get out and summon help.
Clare said cave rescues are extremely rare.
“I think this is the first time in quite a while we’ve had a rescue back at the caves,” he said.
The caves, which are right along a popular hiking trail, are often visited by curiosity seekers. But Clare warns those who go into them to beware. The caves have “a bunch of little chambers” and narrow passageways, he said.
“If you don’t know what you’re doing back there, you can get lost or hurt,” he said.
Pequea Fire Company was assisted by emergency personnel from Rawlinsville, Quarryville, Willow Street, Conestoga Ambulance and Susquehanna Valley EMS.
Copyright 2010 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.