Dear Editor,

Regarding the Post Independent’s recent editorial, “Close call at Hubbard Cave.” If all this has been correctly reported, there indeed remain many puzzling questions about this bizarre rescue.

Perhaps the most perplexing is that “authorities found no experienced explorers to search the cave” (according to the Denver Post, Aug. 31), did not attempt to do so themselves, and delayed overnight even though there was reason to suspect that the missing couple might have been in the cave long enough to die of dehydration or hypothermia. But they eventually let family members, presumably no more trained in cave search and rescue than the sheriff’s staff, enter and find the couple within minutes.

The sheriff must not have tried very hard to find “experienced explorers.”

A much-publicized show cave, Glenwood Caverns, is at Glenwood Springs. One simple phone call to the caverns operators, or to a nearby organized rescue group, would have yielded contact information for many experienced cavers – some local, and some with cave rescue training – who could have searched the cave quickly and safely.

Waiting until family members felt obliged to do it was inviting additional untrained people to get into trouble. That the sheriff’s department did not make that call as soon as they knew a cave was involved, seems inexplicable. It suggests to me at least appalling ignorance or incompetence, if not ulterior motives. I will certainly not vote for this sheriff in the future.

Donald Davis

Parachute