On Friday, Jan. 12, a somber incident unfolded in Giles County’s Staffordsville area as a woman lost her life following a 100-foot fall inside a cave.
The sheriff’s office, along with emergency responders from Pearisburg Fire Department and Giles Rescue, swiftly responded to reports of the unfortunate event around 4:13 p.m.
Giles County Sheriff says woman died from falling 100 feet in Staffordsville cave:
Giles County Sheriff says woman died from falling 100 feet in Staffordsville cave https://t.co/cKXFmksjcz
— WFXR News (@WFXRnews) January 13, 2024
Specialized Teams Mobilized for Challenging Rescue
Upon arriving at the scene, responders realized that specialized equipment would be required for the challenging rescue operation.
The Celco Emergency Response team and Blacksburg Rescue Squad’s Rescue Cave team were called in to assist, highlighting the complexity of the situation.
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Recovery Efforts and Victim Identification
Rescue teams, equipped for the cave environment, entered the challenging terrain to locate the woman.
Tragically, they discovered her lifeless body. With utmost care, rescue personnel successfully removed the woman from the cave.
The victim was later identified as 38-year-old Autumn Nicole Draper from Fairlawn, based on DMV records, shared by the county’s Emergency Services Coordinator, Jon Butler.
This heartbreaking incident has left the community in mourning, prompting authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate accident.