A teenager was rescued from a cave in Claxton on Thursday, July 27, 2017, and he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for back and ankle pain, authorities said. (Photo by Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad)
Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. July 29.
A teenager was rescued from a cave in Claxton on Thursday, and he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for back and ankle pain, authorities said.
The 16-year-old boy had called 911 to say he was in a cave off Mehaffey Road in Claxton, and he was not able to find his way out, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident report.
The cave was in woods behind Spring Hill Baptist Church.
A family member said the boy had previously asked to go into the cave, the report said. On Thursday, he told his grandmother that he was going to a neighbor’s house to mow the lawn but instead went to the cave alone, the report said.
Anderson County dispatchers were able to “ping” the teenager’s cell phone and get a location and coordinates. Emergency responders used those coordinates to locate the cave, and the juvenile was retrieved, the report said.
He was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville to be evaluated for back and ankle pain.
Agencies that helped with the cave rescue included the Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad, Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad, Claxton Volunteer Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, and Anderson County Emergency Management Agency. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department also responded.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
A teenager was rescued from a cave in Claxton on Thursday, July 27, 2017, and he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for back and ankle pain, authorities said. (Photo by Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad)
A teenager was rescued from a cave in Claxton on Thursday, July 27, 2017, and he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for back and ankle pain, authorities said. (Photo by Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad)
A teenager was rescued from a cave in Claxton on Thursday, July 27, 2017, and he was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for back and ankle pain, authorities said. (Photo by Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad)
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