Caves of Doom

Last July, the world watched in suspense and amazement as 12 boys and their soccer coach were rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand. The Wild Boars, as the boys’ soccer team is called, had been exploring the cave when a heavy rainstorm hit, filling the cave’s entrance with water and trapping the group underground. It took 10 days for rescuers to locate the shivering and starving boys—and 8 more days to get them out.

Some 10,000 people participated in the dangerous and complicated rescue mission, including 200 expert divers—one of whom died during the rescue efforts. But finally, nearly three weeks after the Wild Boars entered the cave, every boy and the coach had been brought to safety. Though the team survived, the story is a powerful reminder of how treacherous cave exploration can be. 

Here in the United States, there are about 17,000 known caves scattered across the country. Most were formed by rainwater seeping into the soil or running into the ground through cracks and slowly eating away at the landscape—a process that takes many thousands of years.

Inside a cave, one can find strange and magnificent rock formations, some hanging from the ceiling like giant icicles, others rising from the floor in weird, knobbly columns. There are other wonders as well, like the 145-foot waterfall inside Tennessee’s Lookout Mountain, the dazzling crystals lining South Dakota’s Jewel Cave, and the 600 miles of mazelike passages stretching out from Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. 

Lured by such otherworldly beauty and mystery, millions of Americans visit caves each year. Some take guided tours, visiting only the most accessible parts of caves—a fun and generally safe way to spend an afternoon.

Others set out on bold and often risky expeditions into the deepest recesses of a cave. Some are researchers, studying rare creatures or hunting for prehistoric artifacts, for example. But many are simply thrill seekers who go caving for the challenge and adventure of it. These daredevils shimmy through tight tunnels. They lower themselves with ropes into deep, inky-black chasms. And they climb sheer cliff walls, drilling metal bolts into the rock to pull themselves up bit by bit, hoping to discover parts of caves that no human has ever seen.

Along with the excitement comes an almost endless list of perils. Cavers can tumble off slippery ledges. They can be crushed by falling boulders; suffer from hypothermia in damp, drafty caverns; or catch deadly diseases from cave-dwelling bats and ticks. They can drown while attempting to swim through underwater passages or become trapped when a cave floods, as happened in Thailand. Every year, about 50 people are injured in caving accidents in America, and about 3 are killed.

According to experts, most caving hazards can be avoided by taking a few basic precautions. Experts recommend that cavers travel in small groups of four to six people—with at least two members of the group being experienced cavers who know the cave well. Cavers should also wear sturdy boots and helmets and carry supplies like flashlights, food and water, and first-aid kits. Caves can be as menacing as they are fascinating, and they should be explored only with extreme care.

The 12 boys in Thailand would agree. Even once they were safe aboveground, their worries did not end entirely. “I know I will get yelled at by my mom when I get home,” one boy told reporters.