Boy dies on school caving trip

A 14-year-old boy died while caving on a school trip.

Joseph Lister was part of a group from Tadcaster Grammar School who were learning the basic principles of caving in Upper Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, on the first day of a school trip yesterday.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said his "lifeless" body was recovered from an area known as Manchester Hole following a search by rescue teams.

Joseph, from Steeton, near Tadcaster, was later pronounced dead at Harrogate District Hospital.

The council spokesman said: "There was a substantial party from Tadcaster Grammar School. It was the first day of the trip.

"They were divided up into groups and one group of 11 went in to what is known as Manchester Hole, or Manchester Caves, which is, I'm told, a fairly easy and comfortable introduction to caving.

"It's the standard introduction to caving that youngsters get.

"There was an incident in the cave and the search and rescue team were called out.

"Last night they recovered a body - they brought the boy out in a lifeless condition.

"He was transferred to Harrogate Hospital, where he was pronounced dead late last night."

The spokesman said: "Pupils at Tadcaster Grammar have only just been informed of the situation and, as you can imagine, there's a tremendous sense of grief at the school today.

"It was decided to end the trip for all the pupils and they were reunited with their families late last night. They were all brought home."

He said the cause of Joseph's death was being investigated and was not yet known, but he added that the water had started to rise in the cave shortly before the incident.

"They decided to come out of the cave as the water started to rise."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "At ten past four yesterday police were informed that a 14-year-old boy on a school trip based at Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre, near Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale, was believed to be trapped in the nearby Manchester Hole cave by rising water levels.

"The Wharfedale Fell Rescue Team were called out and two teams were deployed to the scene.

"At 5.35pm the boy was brought out from the cave system and then taken to Harrogate District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead late last night."

"A post mortem is expected to be carried out later today.

"The Health and Safety Executive have been informed and inquiries into the circumstances of the death are continuing."

The incident came less than two weeks after ministers published plans to encourage more schools trips.

A draft "manifesto" for outdoor education included a guarantee for every pupil to have the chance to attend at least one residential trip during their time at school.

Education Minister Lord Adonis said at the time that the manifesto would include key recommendations to help schools make sure trips were safe.

"From a geography field trip to a week at an outdoor pursuits centre, education outside the classroom can help to enrich the curriculum and bring subjects to life," he said.