The goal is to help prepare crews for one of the most challenging rescue scenarios: saving someone trapped underground.
SAN ANTONIO — Firefighters with the San Antonio Fire Department descended into the darkness of Robber Baron Cave for an annual training exercise. The goal is to help prepare crews for one of the most challenging rescue scenarios: saving someone trapped underground.
Only KENS 5 cameras were there as members of the department’s Technical Rescue Team navigated the tight passages of the cave, the longest known cave in Bexar County. Officials say there are approximately 700 documented caves across the county.
“It really is the unknown,” said Lt. Mark Moody, describing the unpredictability of cave rescues.
Robber Baron Cave, located off Nacogdoches Road near Loop 410, is closed to the general public but open for guided tours. On this day, it served as the backdrop for a simulated emergency.
In the scenario, responders were called to rescue a woman who was hurt and became trapped.
“This cave has quite a few passageways to get in it, so our job was to go in systematically, check that cave and find the patient,” Moody said.
Communication underground presents its own challenges. Because radios do not function well below the surface, crews relied on a wired device known as a cave phone to relay updates between teams inside the cave and command outside.
“As soon as you go into that hole, you really don’t know what to expect,” said firefighter Eric Schultz of Engine 11.
The training comes on the heels of a recent incident in which a researcher became trapped inside Sorcerer’s Cave, the deepest known cave in Texas at 567 feet. That rescue required a coordinated effort from multiple crews.
Moody emphasized that while cave rescues may appear reactive, the exercises are carefully planned months in advance.
“People may think this is a reactive thing, but this was planned months in advance. This is part of our scheduled training that we keep up to date in all of the things that we do,” he said.
After the drill, firefighters gathered to review their performance, discussing what worked and what could be improved.
“We always need to be ready for this scenario,” Schultz said.
Robber Baron Cave was also the site of a real rescue in 2018, when a high school student became stuck during a field trip. It took crews about 12 hours to safely bring her to the surface.
