DOLGEVILLE, N.Y. — Rescuers on Saturday recovered the remains of an amateur explorer who died 41 years ago in a treacherous cavern, closing a memorable chapter in American caving history.
The body of James Mitchell had been locked inside Schroeder's Pants Cave since Feb. 13, 1965, when the 23-year-old Massachusetts chemist died of exposure while hanging from a harness above a cavern inside the cave.
Mitchell's story made national headlines and prompted spelunkers to become more serious about safety. Rescue teams were formed around the world.
Christian Lyon, 36, a Dolgeville native whose grandfather discovered the cave in 1947, had the blessing of Mitchell's family and local officials to recover the body, and he filmed the event for a documentary.
It took six workers about four hours Saturday to finish the recovery of Mitchell's bones, which were scattered at the bottom of a 75-foot drop-off.