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Glossary
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Cave Safety |
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http://baymountadventures.com/Canada/White Caves Adventure.htm |
| No two caves are exactly the same. A caver doesn't know what to expect
when they step inside the large opening "the mouth." Caves are
beautiful, fantastic, mysterious things. Even though caves are wonderful
and exciting they also have many dangers. Some dangers include
hypothermia, starvation, dehydration, slipping, and falling on the rocks
below. These dangers can cause you to get injured badly. If you do get
injured you need to be treated properly. No one should ever go caving alone. You need to go with a team of at least four people. If someone in your group was to go missing another person in your group would go searching. Once in the cave you need to have your helmet on. It should never leave your head. Your helmet should also have one source of light attached to the helmet. You need to have at minimum three sources of light. It is also not a bad idea to bring extra light bulbs and batteries! If someone was to get lost they need to have their flashlight turned on. Your flashlight needs to be on once you enter the cave. If all your flashlights fail and you run out of batteries and extra bulbs you should stay in one place and wait for someone to come find you. Before you enter a cave you need to tell someone which cave you are going to, when you'll be leaving and when you're returning. It's optional, but you can tell who will be joining you. It's a good idea to follow someone who is experienced and knows what they are doing. If you are inexperienced there is also the choice of following someone who knows the cave well. Cave floors are very uneven and cavers know how to move carefully once inside. This is a precaution that benefits both the caver and the cave. Watch for things falling from above. Even with a small rock you can be severely injured. If an object is falling you need to yell "ROCK!" loud and clear. Going caving is very tiring. It's important to know your limits. It's best to rest frequently. Watch for fatigue in others. Some people will be physically unable to keep up. Caving is a fun thing to do. Cavers have the times of their lives exploring these mysterious places. They seem fun at first, but once you step inside there are many dangers including many dangerous creatures. People risk their lives to gather samples for medicines we might use in the future. While having fun in caves you should remember to be safe. |
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