The BBC News Surrey page, however, has turned up a potential caving disaster from February 1954 that had a happy ending – the cutting is from the Bradford Observer for the 15th of that month:
The Westhumble cave, located in the North Downs near Dorking, was once mined for its chalk.
In February 1954, four adventurous youngsters – including Fred Topliffe – from London wanted to explore the site.
Pete Brown, from Dorking Museum, told Secret Surrey that the 15-year-old was interested in geology.
"He and his friends came well-equipped with helmets, torches and boots," he added.
"While they were exploring, they suddenly heard a rumble and the whole cave roof collapsed."
Brown said Fred was nearly completely covered and could only move his fingers and toes.
Fred Topliffe emerged alive because a fireman named Bert Bullett spent nearly two hours dangling upside down, clearing rubble from on top of him. He was awarded the British Empire Medal for is efforts.
Did his lucky escape put Fred off caving? Not exactly:
Fred, who is now 88-year-old and lives in Oxfordshire, recalled: "The moment I feared I might not get out was immediately after the collapse.
"Once the rescue operation began, I felt much more confident that I would be rescued."
Despite his terrifying experience, he continued to be involved in cave exploration.
He was a co-founder of the Chelsea Speleological Society, one of the country's top caving groups.
Fred later joined the British Antarctic Survey on Signy Island, where he worked as a meteorological observer and studied snow petrels and Weddell seals.
"One of my proudest achievements is climbing out of a deep crevasse unaided in the Antarctic," he said.
When asked why he enjoyed cave exploring, he said he "couldn't explain the appeal", comparing it with the desire some people have to climb mountains or venture into unchartered places.
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