Cave Rescue: 20-Year-Old Pulled To Safety After 5-Hour Operation In Capital Region

The Albany County incident happened Sunday afternoon, June 30, in the town of New Scotland at the Clarksville Cave.

Sheriff Craig Apple said a 20-year-old man entered the cave with a group of friends from Queensbury in Warren County, but when he tried to exit, he became stuck.

Multiple emergency agencies responded to the scene, including the Albany County Sheriff’s Office’s Search and Rescue team, as well as the Onesquethaw and Slingerlands fire departments.

Crews spent nearly five hours rigging and setting up a variety of pulley systems that eventually helped free the trapped man. He walked away with only minor injuries, sheriff’s officials said.

Photos shared on Facebook show the man lying on the ground surrounded by nearly a dozen first responders.

“Outstanding job by our Sheriff's Search and Rescue team,” Apple said. “Training equals success!”

With nearly 4,800 feet of passage and three entrances, the Clarksville Cave is considered the most-visited wild cave in the Northeast, according to the Northeastern Cave Conservancy. 

Visitors are required to don a helmet with chin strap, three sources of light, and knee pads. 

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