Terror scramble from death cave

Joseph went missing as his party made its way out of the caves

A teacher has told an inquest of the terrifying scramble to escape a flooded cave which claimed the life of a pupil.

Joseph Lister, 14, a pupil at Tadcaster Grammar School, died in Upper Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, on 14 November 2005.

He was crawling through a narrow passageway when he was thought to have been trapped by rising water.

Maths teacher Robert Power said some of the group became "hysterical" as the water rose around them.

He told a hearing at Harrogate Magistrates' Court that the group of 11 pupils and three adults had successfully negotiated the crawl section of the Manchester Hole and were standing in a chamber when the water started to rise.

The group began to make their way back towards the crawl and cave exit but the situation became more "critical".

Air pockets

Mr Power said the youngsters had no choice but to go through the crawl, which had become totally submerged in water.

He said several of the children had to use air pockets in the narrow 15ft passageway.

The inquest heard that once on the other side of the crawl it became evident that Joseph was missing.

Mr Power said he was sure Joseph was not behind him when he attempted to go through the crawl, adding: "I can only imagine that we went past him."

He said team leader Tony Boyle "made the decision, almost instantaneously, that we had to leave the cave... Tony repeated we had to leave the cave for the safety of the rest of the group".

Mr Power said: "The girls were quite hysterical, [they said] we had to go back to get him."

Joseph's body was later recovered from the cave.

The inquest continues.