Police: Students Killed When Trapped By Cave

Waterfall

Posted: 4:43 pm EST February 13, 2011Updated: 8:25 am EST February 14, 2011

LaFAYETTE, Ga. — Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson says rescue workers believe that two University of Florida students who died in a north Georgia cave were trapped by their rappelling ropes in a frigid waterfall.

Wilson said the two, 20-year-old Grant Lockenbach and 18-year-old Michael Pirie, apparently died of hypothermia in Ellison’s Cave.

David Ashburn, director of Walker County Emergency Management, says Lockenbach, Pirie and eight other students from Gainesville, Fla., entered the cave Saturday morning to explore it.

Witnesses told officials that someone dropped a bag down a pit. They say Lockenbach rappelled down to retrieve the bag but got tangled in his ropes about 100 feet down and cold water poured over him.

They say Pirie went down to help but also got stuck. The bodies were recovered hours later.

(WSBTV news report)

Our prayers go out to the families of Grant Lockenbach and Michael Pirie.