A man was stuck in a Canmore cave for several hours while rescue teams worked to get him out.
Rat’s Nest cave is not for the faint at heart. It is a challenging descent that requires cavers to squeeze through a tight space nicknamed “The laundry chute”. It’s only a couple of metres long, but cavers must turn 90 degrees at the bottom to proceed further, and that’s where the man got stuck.
He was part of a professionally guided tour, and the guide tried to free him for about an hour before calling for help. Kananaskis Public Safety, Canmore Fire Rescue and a specialized cave rescue team all came to the site to get him out, a process that ended up taking several hours. Teams even had to chip away part of the cave to release him.
The man was given anti-anxiety medication to help him stay calm through his ordeal, as well as food and water. In the end, he walked away uninjured.
It’s been about 10 years since the last underground rescue call in the area. Caves like the Rat’s Nest are usually kept chained up to deter amateurs from attempting to explore them.
