Trapped juvenile rescued from collapsed cave near Lake Alan Henry
((Source: Lubbock Fire Rescue))
GARZA COUNTY, Texas - A juvenile was rescued uninjured Friday night after becoming trapped beneath a collapsed cave near Lake Alan Henry in Garza County, authorities said.
Teen trapped in collapsed cave
What we know:
Lubbock Fire Rescue received a mutual aid request just before 9 p.m. Friday for a person trapped in a cave near the public campsites. The department deployed both its Heavy Rescue and Dive teams to the scene.
Responders arrived to find that a large fallen boulder was blocking the cave's only exit, trapping the juvenile inside. Because the most efficient access point was from the shoreline, personnel and heavy equipment were transported across the water using boats from Lubbock Fire Rescue and the Texas Game Wardens, who established a unified command with Garza County officials.
The Heavy Rescue Team immediately set to work breaking down the blockage while simultaneously rigging a vertical extrication system. Rescuers lowered a safety harness into the cave and guided the juvenile on how to secure it.
The individual was safely hoisted out of the cave and evaluated at the scene by Garza County EMS. An Aerocare medical helicopter was initially requested as a precaution but was later canceled.
The Source: Information in this article is from Lubbock Fire Rescue.