Man freed after being stuck in cave near Maquoketa

FINAL UPDATE 5:38 PM BY JEFF RAASCH: MAQUOKETA – Rescuers freed an Illinois man Saturday afternoon after he was pinned for more than 20 hours deep in a cave at Maquoketa Caves State Park.

An ambulance transported Logan Eliasen, 20, to Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa around 3:45 p.m. Other park visitors discovered Eliasen and a friend, 20-year-old Emma Thomson, stuck in Wye Cave around 8 p.m. Friday, officials said. Both are from Port Byron, Ill.

Thomson was rescued around 11:40 p.m. Friday. She was treated and released from a hospital.

Dozens of rescuers from as far away as Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities worked in three-person shifts to chisel away at rock to free Eliasen, who was about 180 feet into the cave, authorities said. They were close enough to touch Eliasen and were able to get him food, water, oxygen and intravenous fluids during the rescue mission.

DNR Park Ranger Wayne Buchholtz said Eliasen was positioned as if he were “hunched over a table” in a narrow crawlspace. He said rescuers were able to get Eliasen off a ledge and then had an easier time getting him out of the cave.

“He's terribly dehydrated,” Buchholtz said. “They've been pushing him fluids.”

Family members huddled at a pavilion about 50 yards from the cave opening, where rescue vehicles were parked. All-terrain vehicles transported rescuers and gear down the winding path to the cave.

Around 3 p.m. family members were seen hugging after an announcement was made. Officials then asked family and media members to leave the immediate area while Eliasen was brought out of the woods.

Buchholtz said he saw Eliasen emerge from the cave.

“He was on his feet,” Buchhholtz said. “They didn't have to physically carry him out.”

No information about Eliasen's condition was being released Saturday evening, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Several caves exist at the state park, which is four miles northwest of Maquoketa in Jackson County. The Wye cave is between the popular Dance Hall Cave and the park campground.

UPDATE AT 4 p.m. by Gazette staff:

Logan Eliasen, 20, of Port Byron, Ill., was freed from the narrow part of the cave at approximately 3:30 p.m. after being stuck since approximately 6:45 p.m. Friday. He was taken to by ambulance to the Jackson County Regional Health Center.

His companion, Emma Thomson, 20, also of Port Byron, was stuck as well but was freed at about 11:40 p.m. Friday. She was treated at the scene and released.

DNR Park Ranger Wayne Buchholtz said rescuers got the man off a ledge and then had an easier time getting him out of the cave.

"He's terribly dehydrated," Buchholtz said. "They've been pushing him fluids."

Buchholtz said he saw the man emerge from the cave.

"He was on his feet," Buchholtz said. "They didn't have to physically carry him out."

UPDATE at 3 p.m. by Jeff Raasch

The man pinned deep in a cave at Maquoketa State Park is expected to be loaded into an ambulance momentarily, an official with Iowa Task Force One.

Several family members huddled at a pavilion were seen hugging after an announcement was made. Officials and family were then asked to leave the immediate area for procedural reasons.

Asked if the man was no longer pinned, the rescuer said, "I didn't say that."

An ambulance has not been seen leaving the area as of 3:05 p.m.

UPDATE at 2:25 p.m. by Jeff Raasch

Rescuers have not been able to move the man pinned for more than 17 hours in a cave at Maquoketa State Park, but have been able to get him food, water and oxygen.

Efforts continue to free the man, who was discovered trapped in the cave with a woman around 8 p.m. Friday evening. Dozens of rescuers from as far away as Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities have been on the scene since last evening.

The woman was rescued with minor injuries around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Rescuers have been close enough to touch the man and get him food and water. He is tired, but apparently in good spirits, Buchholtz said. A sling has been attached to the man to pull him out when enough rock has been chipped away.

Buchholtz said the man's position is as if he is “hunched over a table” in a narrow crawlspace, and teams of three are taking shifts to chip away rock around him. The rescuers are close enough to touch the man and have been able to attach a sling to him, Buchholtz said.

“They've moved quite a bit of rock, but now they're just trying to move him forward,” Buchholtz said.

The rescue teams have their vehicles parked in an asphalt lot and are transporting gear about 300 yards to the cave. From there, the man is trapped about 180 feet into the cave, authorities said.

Buchholtz said the man is very tired, but is apparently in good spirits. He said the space is very tight.

“It's enough space that you can't have two people side-by-side, let's put it that way,” Buchholtz said.

Earlier post:

MAQUOKETA - Rescue crews continue to chip away at rock as they attempt to free a man that has been stuck in a cave at Maquoketa Caves State Park for at least 17 hours.

Officials said park visitors discovered two people lodged in Wye Cave around 8 p.m. Friday. Park staff was notified and rescue crews from as far away as the Quad Cities responded. Around 1 a.m. Saturday, a woman was freed from the cave. She was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released.

Crews still have verbal contact with a man still stuck in the cave, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. According to Park Ranger Scot Dykstra, the man became stuck as he was crawling through a narrow part of the cave. DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins told the Associated Press the man was tired, but otherwise OK.

Rescue teams from Cedar Rapids, Maquoketa, Creston and the Quad Cities have their vehicles parked in an asphalt lot and are transporting gear about 300 yards to the cave. From there, the man is trapped about 180 feet into the cave.

Dozens of rescuers are assisting with the effort to free the man. DNR Park Ranger Wayne Buchholtz, who came from Dubuque to relieve the park's ranger, said oxygen levels are a concern in the space where the man is trapped.

“They're trying to remove rock and get him out of where he's at,” Buchholtz said.

Buchholtz had no estimate of how long the rescue could take.

“It could be hours and it could be right away,” Buchholtz said around 1:15 p.m.

Several caves exist at the state park, which is four miles northwest of Maquoketa in Jackson County. The Wye cave is between the popular Dance Hall Cave and the park campground.

Buchholtz, who regularly works at the Mines of Spain State Park in Dubuque, was not sure when the last serious rescue of this nature here, but said it has been several years.