A man has died a week after getting stuck inside an indoor caving experience at a Lake District climbing centre.
Carl O’Keeffe was trapped in the narrow tunnel at Kong Adventure in Keswick for hours and was only freed with the help of specialist cave rescuers.
The 49-year-old from Lancaster was seriously injured and died on Sunday in Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle.
His sister Olivia Short said the family were “broken hearted”.
The Keswick Mountain Rescue Team fought to free Mr O’Keeffe at the venue on 22 April, along with fire crews, police and ambulance, after staff at the centre were unable to.
“While the emergency services were deciding on evacuation plans, the climbing wall staff, assisted by visiting climbers, started dismantling sections of the wall to aid access to tunnels hidden behind the climbing wall panels,” the team said at the time.
A spokesperson for the mountain rescue team said there had been “growing concern” for Mr O’Keeffe’s health because of the time he had spent trapped, static and in a confined space.
Once freed, Mr O’Keeffe was taken to Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle but died from his injuries on Sunday.
In a tribute posted on Facebook, his sister Ms Short said she “loved him dearly”.
“He was my baby brother and over the last few years became my best friend,” she wrote.
“I also got to spend alternate weekends with him and his children.
“I’m broken hearted, as are the rest of our family.”
On its website Kong Adventure says it has a 70m-long caving network at its site in the centre of Keswick.
In a statement the venue said staff had tried to help Mr O’Keeffe and “followed all emergency procedures but it became apparent that outside assistance was needed”.
It added: “Fire crew, mountain rescue, cave rescue, paramedics and Kong staff then worked to extricate the casualty who was taken to Carlisle hospital for further treatment.”
Keswick MRT said there had been a “significant effort” by rescuers, including the fire and rescue service with specialist cutting equipment, climbing wall staff and Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit.
Cumbria Police is investigating Mr O’Keeffe’s death on behalf of the coroner.
Cumberland Council, which is the regulating body for the centre, said it was also looking into what had happened.
Source -BBC News
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