M is for Mistake
by Kelli Hedding, Copyright November 12, 2008, all rights reserved. 705 views
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| From Misc pictures for a is for adventure |
It was a fatal mistake; we were trapped. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing. It actually would cost us our lives.
I had been chosen as the leader. I didn’t want to be but I didn’t have a choice. As I connected my air tank to my mask I shuddered. I was afraid of fire. Now I was leading two of my friends straight into a fire in the bow of my ship.
We reported our air pressures before we went on air and then made our way into the smoky area.
I could not see a thing. With one hand against the wall I waved the other hand over my head to feel for dangerous objects. I walked slowly with one foot in front testing the floor to make sure it was safe to walk on.
It was very hot. The cool air from my air tank felt refreshing. I reminded myself to stay calm and control my breathing to make my air last longer. The weight of my teammates hand on my shoulder keeping us from being separated was comforting.
My hand struck something. It was a large, steel object.
“There is something overhead,” I relayed to my teammate, taking care to enunciate clearly with the B.A. mask mufling my speech. “I’m going to get down and crawl,” I said.
I heard my teammate directly behind me relay the message to the third member of our team.
It was slow and tedious work moving through this cramped portion of the ship. We made progress slowly, feeling our way through the blackness.
“I am going through a doorway,” I called to my teammates. “There is a board in the way. I am moving it out of the way.”
I did so. We slowly moved through the doorway and the door slammed shut behind us. I felt my way around and found myself and my teammates in a tiny, closet sized room. We carefully passed through the opposite doorway into the next room. There before us was the fire. It was out of control.
Our team got set up to open the hose. When we were in position I told my team I was going to start spraying. We all braced ourselves for the kick when the valve on the huge fire hose was opened.
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| From Misc pictures for a is for adventure |
“B.A. 1, this is roving party,” came a voice over the radio a few minutes later, “you need to get out of there now,” came the urgent call.
The fire was directly in front of the opposite exit. We would have to go back the way we had come.
Turning around I put my hand on the air tank of my partner who had been behind me. Now I would be bringing up the rear. I felt relieved that the pressure of leadership was lifted off my shoulders. å
We passed through the doorway into the small, closet like room. We waited while our new leader looked for the other door that had closed behind us. And we waited…
“I can’t find the door knob,” called our leader.
It was then that I realized that the plank of wood I had moved earlier had served a very important purpose - it had been a prop for a door with no knob. Little had we known that when the door slammed shut behind us it had barred our only way of escape.
We were trapped; with a locked steel door on one side and a raging fire on the other there was no chance of escape.
We tried our radio but there was no reception in this section of the ship. There was no way for us to communicate with the bridge. Soon our air would run out. All we could do was curl up in a corner and wait while our air ran out and we roasted slowly.
Suddenly a cheerful voice popped into the room.
“Ok, you guys can take off the blindfolds,” the voice said. “Let’s gather in the other room for debrief”.
Thank goodness it was only a drill.
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| From Misc pictures for a is for adventure |
Comments
1 • Ralph • September 10, 2008 • 10:02 AM
Let’s go!
2 • Mandy M. • September 21, 2008 • 7:50 PM
Kelli, I’m assuming you wrote this? Just wanted you to know, at this point in my life, this is very encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing how God can worth through a simple blog post.
3 • Johannah Stanford • September 24, 2008 • 3:00 PM
The quality of this video looked good to me, and it didn’t take hardly any time to download on our computer. Did you get more climbing equipment? 
4 • Kristen • October 04, 2008 • 3:39 PM
Sounds like tons of fun. 
Ryan took me rock climbing indoors for the first time a couple weeks ago and I loved it! (I’m his sister.)
Colorado looks and sounds like a very fun place.
5 • Mandy M. • October 04, 2008 • 5:49 PM
Great post Heidi! You sure are brave. I’m glad you had such a great time!
6 • Nate • October 13, 2008 • 5:23 PM
Thats awesome….
Sounds like something I would do. :p
7 • Heidi Reiman • October 20, 2008 • 4:47 PM
Hans, You poor thing. I’m sorry you couldn’t get a wi-fi connection. By the way what is a wi-fi?
Is it like wiffer cookies with fine milk?
8 • Kelli • October 29, 2008 • 8:03 AM
Oh sheesh, Nathaniel, you’re hilerious! That was really roughing it.
9 • Nathan Nasby • November 04, 2008 • 11:28 AM
If you want a really creepy expirience stay at the Imperial Hotel in London! Wow, we had blood on the walls and in the sheets in our room. The Window was broken, and I’m not even going to mention the shared bathrooms!!!!
10 • Anna • November 05, 2008 • 8:01 PM
Haha! Nathan, this is just the beginning… Soon you’ll be cool with using towels unwashed from the last occupant, sleeping on bedbug-ridden mattresses, and, well, haha!
11 • Heidi R. • November 17, 2008 • 10:00 AM
Great story.
12 • A • November 17, 2008 • 7:01 PM
I just watched this a few days ago (was looking up vids of Marrakesh and then followed the rabbit trail) and thought about you guys… Odd, but fitting, to see it here as well!
13 • Kristin C. • November 17, 2008 • 10:13 PM
Haha!!! That is hilarious!!! :-D
14 • Debbie • November 25, 2008 • 10:27 PM
I have a problem with getting cave crickets in my basement and hate them. I don’t think I want to be their friend. But neat story on your adventure. God Bless!
Debbie
15 • Laura • November 29, 2008 • 12:49 AM
Wow! :D
16 • Estin • November 30, 2008 • 8:58 PM
That’s crazy.
17 • Trish • December 04, 2008 • 12:11 PM
Um…Ew. That is SOOO disgusting.
18 • Kristen B. • December 07, 2008 • 6:52 PM
You are a great writer, Kelli.
19 • Heidi R. • December 09, 2008 • 11:45 PM
Thanks, so are you.
20 • Heidi R. • December 09, 2008 • 11:46 PM
Oh, and I love your pics.
21 • Quentin Cooper • December 18, 2008 • 7:58 AM
This seems to have been written by people who have caved only once in their life or read about it in an armchair. What about the main thing warm clothes (be it a wetsuit or neo-fleece). Gloves completely unimportant as I have caved without them for 20 years and never wished I’d brought them. What about a survey of the cave? Going with someone experienced? Leaving a CALL OUT? that not feature in your essentials? Incase people ahave an accident in a cave then nobody knows about it….come on guys….
22 • Blue (Royal) • May 06, 2009 • 11:07 PM
Nice film guys. The water side looked like fun. I love a good natural water slide. Good job with not making it look to rigged.
23 • Royal Magnell • May 06, 2009 • 11:57 PM
That was fun… now we run so the cops don’t catch us!
24 • Rachel • May 19, 2009 • 9:36 PM
Hey! Hoping you get this soon. Just wondered what kind of camera, flash, etc. was used for these pictures. Also how the cameras were kept dry and clay free. Thanks so much!
25 • Beau • August 04, 2009 • 12:16 AM
Enjoyed it. I am curious if this is the Wilder cave in Pelham, AL?
26 • Dannity Kane • February 27, 2010 • 2:06 AM
Give me a little of that and I’d feel like a king.
27 • Stephen Nasby • May 28, 2010 • 9:09 AM
Good job.
28 • Stephen Nasby • September 02, 2010 • 9:58 AM
That looked like quite an adventure, exciting. Swim looked very refreshing. Cool camera, you can even go underwater with it.
29 • Katie Carter • September 18, 2010 • 10:11 PM
It is in Grady County Georgia, between Pelham, and Cairo. It is owned my my aunt. It is very pretty, it is not open to the public because people can’t seem appreciate it without breaking pieces off, and spray painting.