Check out our new site: CaveSim.com
While participating in a 2008 cave rescue seminar, Dave found himself dodging picnic tables and flagging tape as he and other would-be rescuers moved their patient through a pretend cave of colorful obstacles instead of an earthy corridor lined with stalagmites. "There's got to be a way to improve on this," thought Dave "so that rescuers in training can practice in an environment that realistically simulates the challenges of rescuing someone underground."
Two years later The Cave is a reality. Everyone from rescue personnel in training to beginning cavers who have never been underground can practice caving safely and carefully before going underground. The Cave has 32 feet of "passage" to explore, decorated with delicate reproductions of real cave formations. Each formation is wired to count the number of times it gets hit. This information is saved in a central computer, and cavers can compare their scores and times. In a real cave setting, hitting a formation is never a good idea. Some are delicate and break easily. Others are sharp and strong enough to injure you or a patient being rescued or carried out in a stretcher.
To bring The Cave to your rescue seminar, convention, or other event, contact Dave Jackson at jacksondmit@cavesim.com.
