My terror, by teenager on school caving trip that turned to tragedy

A NORTH Yorkshire teenager who took part in a school trip during which a boy drowned in a flooded cave has spoken of how she was "petrified" as water levels rose.

Amy Ryder, 19, told Leeds Crown Court she was part of the same group of students as Joe Lister, who died when water swept through Manchester Hole cave in the Yorkshire Dales during the trip in November 2005.

Miss Ryder, who was 14 at the time, told the jury that she, her classmates and their teacher panicked as water in the cave rose rapidly from ankle-deep to nearly shoulder-level.

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North Yorkshire County Council, which owns and operates the outdoor education centre involved in the trip, faces two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). It is accused of failing to ensure the health and safety of its own employees and another charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of non-council employees.

The group of 11 Tadcaster Grammar School pupils went to the cave with three adults, including a 17-year-old volunteer instructor, a mathematics teacher and an instructor from the Bewerley Park Centre.

They were told they could not go into another cave because water levels were too high and were instead taken into the adjoining Manchester Hole, where Miss Ryder described the water, which was initially at ankle-level, as "choppy" and cold.

After some time in the cave, Miss Ryder described how the water began rising rapidly but said there did not appear to be any sense of urgency about leaving. And when they returned to the entrance of the tunnel, known as the Crawl, the witness told the court they found the hole had filled with water and said she was worried.

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Miss Ryder said she tried to go through the tunnel but had to come back as there were too many people in an air space in the passage. She said everyone, including the maths teacher with the group, was "panicking".

She said Joe had turned back at the same time as her but she thought he had then gone back through the tunnel ahead of her. Only later did she realise Joe was missing. He was found by a rescuer with his head torch still on but minus his Wellington boots.

The trial, which is scheduled to last six weeks, was adjourned until next week.