Rats, Caves, and Cyanide!

The photo shows some of my students in the GSC caving course exploring their way through the Bowden Cave system in Randolph county. Our class would not only just explore cave systems, but also conduct research as to organisms found within the cave and the physical environmental factors (temperature, water quality, humidity, etc.).

I remember one spring morning arriving at Bowden Cave with our cave biology group and seeing a tent erected outside of the cave entrance. There was a light snow hugging the ground and the temperature was in the 30’s. It did not take long to realize that we had a couple of inebriated WVU college dropouts on hand. Yes, they said that they were going to explore the cave! They had a Coleman lantern and they were, as my mother would say “drunk as a skunk”. I assured them that a cave was no place to be when a person is full of beer. I was thinking on how many beer cans I have seen in caves and wondered why anyone would drink in this dangerous environment and even carry their beer back into crawlways and over underground cliffs!

We left the WVU students (well, were!) and proceeded into the cave. Our teams were interested in trying to trap wood rats that have been on a decline in West Virginia. We setup our recording thermometers and left the cave. As we exited the cave we noticed two of our live box traps that were positioned close to the entrance were missing. Obviously the drunken “scientists” needed our traps. I questioned them about the missing traps and they assured me that they had nothing to do with the missing equipment. I told them if they see anyone with the traps to warn them that they have been laced with a cyanide compound and that a person must not touch them without protective gloves. (Yes, a lie!!) I wish I could have recorded the expression on their faces. As we left Bowden, the novice spelunkers were lighting the Coleman lamp to enter the cave.

We were off to stay at the wildlife cabin at Otter Creek Wilderness Area and in the morning we would return to Bowden to check our traps and recording devices. We had a great supper with one of my students, Martin Arbaugh of Richwood, supplying fresh and tender ramps for supper.

We arrived at the cave the next morning early. No one was around the tent so my students checked out the canvas abode and found- you guessed it – our live traps. They retrieved them and placed them into the van.

A group of spelunkers from Pittsburgh had arrived and entered the cave a few minutes earlier. As we entered the entrance crawlway, we heard one of the Pittsburgh folks yell to hold up that two individuals were on their way out. They said that these two had spent the night in the cave. It was actually 24 hours that they were in their underground prison. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out who these two individuals were.

The two WVU students were wet and cold. They had taken into the cave only the Coleman light. They had slipped on the mud bank by the underground stream and fell into the icy water, which quickly extinguished the Coleman lantern. They were now in frigid water and in absolute darkness. They became sober quickly as they huddled together in the darkness of the cave and hearing only the rush of water through the cave system. The next 24 hours were spent on the slippery mud bank talking of dying and other equally pleasant topics.

As they emerged, we found two individuals who were in obvious stages of hypothermia. They were shivering uncontrollably and eyes were staring as if they had no control. They also had a new spiritual awakening. Saying repeatedly, “Thank you, thank you, for saving us! We prayed that someone would return and find us.”

I told them that they had best stop by the Elkins emergency room for a checkup. I also gave the caving safety lecture about 3 sources of light necessary before entering a cave, required helmets, and other spelunking safety essentials. We then bid them farewell and we were off to collect cave data. I have wondered what happened to these guys and if this experience had made an impact on their lives. Life teaches us many lessons and, hopefully, we will listen and learn.