Sterkfontein Caves: Revisiting the 1984 cave diving tragedy
Why the Sterkfontein Caves cannot be explored further, 40 years after a tragic incident.
The Sterkfontein Caves are famous for many reasons.
Located in the Cradle of Humankind, these caves are where multiple fossils have been found. The caves are made out of limestone and there are guided tours that educate visitors about how they were formed as well as about the fossils found there.
With cave diving no longer permitted there, the Krugersdorp News went back in time to find out why.
On November 16, 1984, the News reported that the body of a diver was found. Peter Verhulsel (29) of Bez Valley, Johannesburg and Wits student survived for about three weeks on an island in a pool in the Sterkfontein Caves after he got lost while diving with two friends in the underground lake in the caves. Verhursel, an experienced cave diver and instructor, was diving in the lake on September 29, 1984. On their way back, Verhursel lost his way in the muddy water of the lake and went through an underwater tunnel to an island.
Two teams of the cave Finders’ Association searched for him every weekend since his disappearance. One of the teams discovered a small hole about 20 metres from the edge of the lake and every weekend, for four weekends, dug a tunnel with crowbars to get through.
Verhursel’s body was discovered and it took a team about six hours to remove the partly decomposed body from the island through the narrow 30-metre tunnel. An autopsy revealed that Verhursel survived for about three weeks only on water in the cave, with temperatures just above freezing point, waiting in vain to be rescued.
Evidence found suggested that he desperately tried to get out of the underground grave. On the sand of the island, he wrote: “Love you, Shirl and Mom”. He married his wife Shirley (27) on July 7, 1984.
According to Maropeng’s official website, it is speculated that Verhursel perished just hours before rescuers found his body. This caused cave diving to be banned in the Sterkfontein Caves, and many of the caves were unknown and unexplored.
