Neil Moss (caver)
Encyclopedia
Neil Moss was the victim of a famous caving
accident in England
on Sunday, March 22, 1959. A twenty-year-old undergraduate studying philosophy
at Balliol College, Oxford, Moss became jammed underground, 1,000 feet from the entrance after descending a narrow unexplored shaft in Peak Cavern
, a famous cave system in Castleton in Derbyshire
. Initial attempts to haul him free failed because the rope broke several times. When he lost consciousness as carbon dioxide
from his own respiration
built up in the base of the shaft, he was unable to assist further rescue attempts made with a stronger rope. More rescue efforts were made: June Bailey gave up after six hours, "driven back by foul air," and caving veteran Bob Leakey, in a frogman suit, could not get to him. He never regained consciousness and was declared dead on the morning of Tuesday, March 24, after the final rescue attempt had failed.
His father, wishing to avoid further injury or loss of life in an attempt to retrieve his body, requested that it be left in place, wishing no one else to risk life or limb. The fissure was sealed with concrete
and an inscription was later placed nearby. This section of Peak Cavern is now known as Moss Chamber.
It was thought that he became stuck because he had moved a boulder at the bottom which had trapped the ladder, thus preventing him being pulled up by rescuers. The distance between the rungs of the ladder were too far apart for someone of his height to reach through the remaining gap.
The story of Moss's death was widely publicized and appeared also in American newspapers and Australian newspapers; it was retold in the novel One Last Breath (2004) by Stephen Booth
.
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
accident in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on Sunday, March 22, 1959. A twenty-year-old undergraduate studying philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Balliol College, Oxford, Moss became jammed underground, 1,000 feet from the entrance after descending a narrow unexplored shaft in Peak Cavern
Peak Cavern
The Peak Cavern, also known as the Devil's Arse , is one of the four show caves in Castleton, Derbyshire, England...
, a famous cave system in Castleton in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. Initial attempts to haul him free failed because the rope broke several times. When he lost consciousness as carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
from his own respiration
Respiration (physiology)
'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...
built up in the base of the shaft, he was unable to assist further rescue attempts made with a stronger rope. More rescue efforts were made: June Bailey gave up after six hours, "driven back by foul air," and caving veteran Bob Leakey, in a frogman suit, could not get to him. He never regained consciousness and was declared dead on the morning of Tuesday, March 24, after the final rescue attempt had failed.
His father, wishing to avoid further injury or loss of life in an attempt to retrieve his body, requested that it be left in place, wishing no one else to risk life or limb. The fissure was sealed with concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
and an inscription was later placed nearby. This section of Peak Cavern is now known as Moss Chamber.
It was thought that he became stuck because he had moved a boulder at the bottom which had trapped the ladder, thus preventing him being pulled up by rescuers. The distance between the rungs of the ladder were too far apart for someone of his height to reach through the remaining gap.
The story of Moss's death was widely publicized and appeared also in American newspapers and Australian newspapers; it was retold in the novel One Last Breath (2004) by Stephen Booth
Stephen Booth (writer)
Stephen Booth is an English crime-writer. He is the author of the Derbyshire-set Cooper and Fry series.-Early and Personal Life:...
.