Tearful caver tells of scramble to save pupils in flood cave

Tony Boyle, employed at the Bewerley Park Outdoor Centre, near Pateley Bridge, was leading a group from Tadcaster Grammar School in the Manchester Hole cave in the Yorkshire Dales in November, 2005 when Joe Lister, 14, died.

His voice broke as he told a jury at Leeds Crown Court how he came close to drowning himself as he tried to get the pupils through the passage known as the "Crawl".

"The water was rising very rapidly," he said. "It came up to the roof while I was there. I was in a very small space under water and had two students with me. I tried to get them through with me. I had hold of them and we tried to force our way through.

"I was starting to lose consciousness and I unfortunately let go."

He told the jury: "As soon as I could get my head out of the water I did. I was very disorientated and close to drowning myself."

He said he gathered his wits and saw two lights in the water and was able to grab hold of the pupils and pull them through. Three more people came through including a voluntary instructor who was the group and he was told they were the last.

He thought everyone had got through until a number count revealed Joe missing.

He considered going back for him but did not think it was the "best course of action" as the water was still rising.

"If I'd got back through I don't think I could have brought Joe back with me. We could have got trapped, leaving the rest of the group stranded."

Mr Boyle said he decided to lead the rest of the pupils out and raise the alarm. He hoped Joe might have been able to sit the flood out on a mud bank.

North Yorkshire County Council, which owns and operates Bewerley Park, denies two charges of failing to ensure the health and safety of the pupils and its own employees.

The prosecution claim the risk assessment of the cave was inadequate, but the defence says that the flooding could not have been foreseen by anyone.

Mr Boyle, 47, told Robert Smith QC, defending, that he had never seen anything like it before. "I couldn't understand how it had happened."

He began work at the centre in 1993 and had visited the cave about 200 times and none of the conditions understood to cause flooding were present that day.

He had noticed the previous month a new sink near Goyden Pot, which appeared blocked and he did not think it would impact on Manchester Hole.

Under cross-examination by Tim Horlock QC, prosecuting, he agreed he had not mentioned that to anyone.

He also said he had not read an article in the caving publication Descent in April/May referring to a new sink opening, although a copy was at the centre.

Mr Horlock suggested his approach was "one of complacency in that the culture developed at Bewerley Park was one of 'we know best, we have always done it this way, therefore our assumptions don't get to be challenged or questioned."

"You're entitled to your opinion," replied Mr Boyle.

The trial continues.