Collinsville High School junior, Dustin Blaksley, his brother, Garry, and 2 friends including 2005 CHS grad Chris Smith ended up spending a long day in a cold wet Tennessee cave Thursday March 21, 2008. They were exploring a cave in the Smokie Mountain range and had descended several vertical drops (12, 50 and 15 feet for example) with their climbing equipment. When they tried to climb back out using an "ascender" they discovered that the cold water of the water fall they were climbing through took away their energy. Garry Blaskley (24 years old and a youth minister in the Maryville, Tennessee area) was only able to make it half way up the toughest assent. Dustin Blaskey (17 years old) then tried and he was also unable to complete the climb completely up the rope through the cold water. The group then decided to wait for help. Garry's wife knew where they were exploring and when they were supposed to return. Dustin said there was no cell phone coverage in the area.

The group was extremely happy to see the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue group when they arrived to help them finally make the assent to get back to the surface after over 18 hours in the cave. Everyone in the group is fine now. They did receive a bit more attention they wished for including some national coverage. Dustin said that although they did under estimate the effect of the cold water on the climb back out, they did have equipment and "weren't just some foolish teenagers that wandered into a cave and got lost" as some coverage made it appear.

-- Ted Wright -- Monday March 24, 2008
www.cvilleok.com (Collinsville, Oklahoma)