Dales cave instructor recalls bid to rescue pupil
A caving instructor has told a court how he tried to get school pupils out of a rapidly flooding cave in which a 14-year-old boy died.
Tony Boyle was the leader of the group that included Joe Lister who died in Manchester Hole Cave on a school trip to the Yorkshire Dales in 2005.
Mr Boyle told Leeds Crown Court how he was close to drowning as he tried to swim with pupils through a passage.
North Yorkshire County Council denies health and safety charges.
Mr Boyle, an instructor at Bewerely Park Centre, said he was trying to swim with pupils through a passage known as The Crawl after water began rising rapidly inside the cave.
“The water was rising very rapidly.
“It came up to the roof while I was there. I was in a very small space under water and had two students with me.
“I tried to get them through with me, I had hold of them and we tried to force our way through.
“I was starting to lose consciousness and I unfortunately let go.”
Mr Boyle added: “I was very disorientated and close to drowning myself.”
The instructor said he pulled some people from the tunnel – which is 12 metres (39.2 ft) long and less than one metre (3.2 ft) high at its lowest point – and thought everyone had come through but realised one pupil was missing after carrying out a number count.
‘Substantial’ rainfall
He said he thought about swimming back through to find Joe but decided it was not the “best course of action” as the water was still rising.
“If I’d got back through I don’t think I could have brought Joe back with me.
“We could have got trapped, leaving the rest of the group stranded.”
Joe was later found by a rescuer with his head torch still on but minus his Wellington boots. He had drowned.
The court heard there had been “substantial” rainfall in the fortnight before the trip but it had not rained for a couple of days prior to the group entering the cave on 14 November.
Mr Boyle said water levels inside the cave were as he would expect at first and he was “happy” and “reassured” by the level of the water.
He told the court he first realised something was “amiss” when the group of 10 pupils and three adults were inside the cave and he noticed the water appeared to be rising.
On leaving the cave, he said the level of the river was “very much the same” as when the group entered.
North Yorkshire County Council denies failing to ensure the health and safety of employees and non-council employees.