A father tragically died over a week after getting injured inside an indoor cave.

49-year-old Carl O’Keeffe was a climbing enthusiast who was playing with children inside the Kong Adventure Centre in Keswick, England, when he suddenly slipped and got trapped inside a small tunnel in the climbing wall.

According to the reports, Carl was a devoted father who was entertaining kids during a birthday party they celebrated at the indoor cave.

Unfortunately, the doting dad got stuck in a tiny tunnel and the staff were not able to reach him immediately. O’Keeffe was eventually brought to safety after rescuers and fire crews dismantled parts of the climbing wall to gain access to the tunnel.

After the man was rushed to the hospital, he spent eight days fighting before succumbing to his injuries last night.

“At 3pm today I sat with Carl and said good bye forever. He was my baby brother and over the last few years became my best friend,” Carl’s sister, Olivia Short, wrote in a touching tribute to her sibling.

“I loved him dearly and we were in contact daily doing word challenges and exchanging weird facts of nature. I also got to spend alternate weekends with him and his children.

“I have been with him since his accident in Keswick on Saturday 22nd April. he was taken to Carlise hospital intensive care with crush injuries. It became apparent that the injuries were severe and he would not be able to survive.”

The grieving sister continued: “He was then moved to a private room and I was able to stay with him so that he could die with some dignity. I’m broken-hearted. As are the rest of our family.”

Meanwhile, Keswick Mountain Rescue revealed that several rescue teams were called to the scene to help save the doting dad and that parts of the climbing wall had to be dismantled to reach the tunnel Carl got stuck in.

“With time passing there was growing concern for the trapped man’s health as he was in a static position in a confined space,” they explained.

“With this in mind the Keswick MR team doctor called in the GNAAS Helimed resources. After some fantastic work by the climbing wall staff, climbers, COMRU, and fire and rescue (with their specialist cutting equipment), the man was released from his captivity.”

Our thoughts remain with Carl’s loved ones during this challenging time.

 

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