The lifeless body of a speleologist was discovered Thursday, May 5 in the evening, in the Cuves de Sassenage, a cave in the department of Isère. She was supervising a school outing in this cave when the rapid rise in water surprised the group. The five supervisors managed to evacuate all the students present, but a teacher and two speleologist guides got stuck. This guide was swept away by the current when she had just saved a teenage girl from drowning. The other two adults stranded in the cave were later rescued during the evacuation operation.
The group was surprised by the sudden rise of the waters
The students who took part in this outing are educated in fifth grade at the Grésivaudan college in Saint-Ismier. The visit was supervised by three teachers and two professional speleologists and took place on the site of the Cuves de Sassenage, a cave near Grenoble. At the end of the morning, during its ascent to the surface, the group was surprised by the sudden rise in water and found itself stranded. The college students were divided into three groups: the first two groups were able to get out of the cavity at the first signs of danger, but the water rose too quickly. If all the teenagers were evacuated safe and sound, a teacher and the two speleologists found themselves stuck.
The guide was swept away after saving a teenage girl
At 7:30 p.m., as soon as a favorable weather window presented itself, an evacuation operation was launched by the emergency services. During their progress in the cave, the rescuers discovered a body, identified as one of the two speleologist guides. According to the first elements of the investigation, she would have saved a teenager in extremis from drowning, before being in turn swept away by the waters. According to France Bleu Isère, his colleague saw him disappear before his eyes, without being able to intervene: stuck in the tanks, he remained in protection with the teacher. The two survivors took refuge in an underground cavity, before being brought to the surface by the emergency services.
Two people were saved by the rescuers but a guide, an experienced speleologist, unfortunately died.
Our thoughts of deep solidarity to his family
The rectorate of Grenoble follows and will carefully follow the students and the two adult survivors— Jean-Michel Blanquer (@jmblanquer) May 6, 2022
On Twitter, the Minister of National Education paid tribute to this “experienced speleologist” and expressed his “deep solidarity with his family”. A psychological cell was set up at the Grésivaudan college, in Saint-Ismier, on Friday May 6.
She was a seasoned caver
The deceased guide was called Sabine Lorne. She was 55 and the mother of three children. Originally from Lans-en-Vercors, this experienced speleologist was known in the community and knew the Vercors very well, according to France Bleu Isère. During this visit, she was the team leader of the group of speleologists who accompanied the school outing. All the volunteers of the Spéléo Secours 38 association are in a state of shock, and have been seen by a psychologist. Some describe Sabine Lorne as their “caving mum”. According to information from France Bleu Isère, she defined herself as a “mountain girl at heart” who “likes to explore virgin spaces on the surface and underground” and whose “strong point” was its “knowledge of the Vercors in all its facets”. Sharing his passion was his “greatest pleasure”. This tragedy will undoubtedly leave traces within the Isère Speleological Rescue, created in 1970.
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The Grenoble public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The intervention mobilized the Group of reconnaissance and intervention in perilous environments (Grimp), the firefighters and the cave rescue of Isère, the CRS Alpes, the Samu, the platoon of high mountain gendarmerie (PGHM) as well as the Isère gendarmerie group.